


Revenant

by MistressMistrust



Category: The Strain (TV)
Genre: Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, F/M, Friendship, Rough Sex, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-01-16 23:34:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 70,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12352830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressMistrust/pseuds/MistressMistrust
Summary: Just a Straight up Romance.Go easy on me, first ever fanfic!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> OK, So this is my first ever Fanfic (be gentle with me). I am not the best writer nor am I an expert on The Strain. I've read the books and seen the Series but this is not meant to be too closely linked in the way that the timeline of events has been changed to fit my story.  
> This isn't a serious thing, I just enjoyed writing it. I'm a romantic at heart and wanted to write something that focused more on Quinlan's human side, which I would have loved to have seen more of in both the books and TV show. Let me know if there is any kind of demand to post more. I have TONS of chapters.  
> Enjoy!

As my eyes slowly opened, I could feel the spread of a hot, wet liquid forming underneath me. A stark contrast to the freezing, hard floor. My head was pounding and in an instant, the pain washed over me in a wave of white, hot rage, taking my breath away.  
"Uuh...What the...?" I mumbled as I slowly lifted my head to scan myself and look for the source of the pain. As I looked down it became immediately apparent why I was in so much pain. A ten inch piece of metal was protruding from my abdomen. The hot liquid I was laying in, was my own blood. I was scared, really scared. How had this happened?  
I was plucked from my thoughts by a strangled screeching noise above me. As my eyes moved up, I remembered. I was in a meat packing factory, scavenging for food. There was a metal walkway above me that I’d fallen from, and on that metal walkway right above me was a Strigoi, eyeballing me and enjoying the anticipation of consuming its next meal. Its eyes were ice white with tiny, pitch black pupils that darted from left to right, left to right, all over my body. It was crouched, almost on all fours and making an echoed, growling sound. Its hair had all but fallen out, leaving just three or four strands that fell over its ears. It looked as if it was once female.  
My stomach knotted and pain seared through me along with a rush of panic. As I tried to push myself along the floor backwards using my arms, the Strigoi's mouth opened, revealing a huge stinger, tipped with talons. The metal sticking out of my body prevented me from moving far, but I persisted, gradually moving back inch after inch, looking around for something to defend myself with. I stopped when the Strigoi hit the deck in front of me with an almighty thud and began to crawl forward slowly with mounting ferocity.  
My breathing was heavy, labored and with every inhalation came a stinging injection of pain from my stomach.  
Is this it? Is this where I die? On the floor of some factory being eaten by one of the masters leeches?  
I prepared myself for my fate and took a deep breath when I saw the Strigoi lunge towards me and shoot it's stinger at my neck.  
My eyes were so tightly shut that it felt difficult to open them. I scanned the dusty, dark ceiling before lifting my head slowly, my heart hammering in my chest, adrenaline shooting through my veins like lasers. The Strigoi was still in front of me, except its head was missing. White worms pulsed and crawled out of the hole in the top of its neck as it slowly slumped to the ground. Stood behind the Strigoi's lifeless body was a man. Pale, cold and perfectly still. Panic began to rise in my chest once more as I realized that he too had ice white eyes and the white pallor of the dead Strigoi that had tried to make me its lunch. I started to drag myself backwards again, letting out a small whimper. He remained where he was and sheathed the extremely sharp, silver sword that he had just used to decapitate the Strigoi. Confusion swirled in my mind and I tried to focus everything I had on my own survival.  
“Push backwards, c'mon, get away, you have to get away”. I screamed at myself in my mind. My stomach throbbed and blood pumped out of the wound as the metal shard moved with my body. I could hear low, guttural noises emanating from the strange new threat in front of me.  
"I mean you no harm" He said. The noises stopped. Silence.  
I froze. Afraid to move even a little bit. Listening only to my own rapid heartbeat in my head. I stared at the thing in front of me with shock and disbelief. What was going on? It can speak? Is 'it' even the right word? It looks like a man...a pale man. But those eyes...and the markings on its face...it's a Strigoi too.  
"I'm going to approach you" He said. “Do not be alarmed. You will bleed to death if you do not accept my assistance"  
I was all of a sudden very aware that my mouth was wide open and I was hyperventilating. As afraid as I was, I wasn't exactly in a position to argue. I nodded quickly and was reminded of the pain as my arm slipped from beneath me and my back hit the floor. He approached me and I watched through the pain as his eyes searched me for some sort of answer as to how he was going to get me out of there. I felt his arm under my legs and his other arm slip under my back. I rose off the floor with surprising ease, as if I weighed nothing. But the pain intensified. I cried out at the top of my lungs...and everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

As I opened my eyes I prayed to whoever was listening that I was not still on the factory floor, bleeding out, with a Strigoi hungrily drooling over me.  
I wasn't. I was relieved to see the familiar sight of my possessions scattered around the dark room. The cardboard boxes that contained the useless yet sentimental things I was able to grab quickly as I ransacked my home before bringing everything here. I was glad I had the forethought to collect some bed sheets, a small token of home even in this situation. I moved my head to the left and took in the familiar scent of home. I felt lightheaded and thirsty as hell. As I looked down at myself, I saw that the metal shard had been removed and I had a thick layer of bandages around my waist. On the table next to the bed was a plethora of drugs and medical dressings and a bottle of water. I grabbed the water and drank the whole thing, throwing the empty container on the floor. On the chair next to the table, were the clothes I was wearing. I was immediately concerned with the fact that I was wearing nothing under the thin, black sheet that covered me. Who had undressed me?  
I shifted in the bed using my arms and the pain wasn't as bad as I’d expected. Scanning the bottles and syringes on the table, I noticed the reason why...morphine. God bless morphine.  
I managed to move from the bed, with nothing but the sheet clutched around me like a toga. I stood for a few moments, trying to take in what had happened, before hobbling out of the room and into the communal area.  
Dutch was a computer hacker with dirty blonde hair and heavy eyeliner. I'd formed a friendship with her after everything went south and she had been teaching me how to hack into government systems in the recent weeks. She was engrossed in a glass of whiskey before her eyes shot up and widened at the sight of me.  
"What are you doing out of bed?! You must be in so much pain! You have to rest!"  
"I'm OK" I replied. "I think I've had enough Morphine to knock out an elephant, so the pain isn't so bad, I'm probably quite high though. Did you-did you undress me?"  
"Yes"  
"Who took the metal out of my stomach?"  
She looked confused  
"What?"  
"The metal. I had a shard of metal in my stomach"  
"Oh...I thought you'd been stabbed by something. I patched you up but I never saw any metal"  
She got up from the tattered brown couch and moved towards me, placing her hand on my shoulder.  
"Don't go out there alone again, OK? I'll come with you next time. You could have died"  
My brow furrowed when I remembered the pale stranger who had saved my life.  
"There was a...man...a Strigoi. I don't know. He saved my life. He picked me up. Where is he?"  
Dutch's eyes narrowed. "I think you might be a little high on the painkillers. Here, sit down"  
She stepped backwards, allowing me to perch on the edge of a chair.  
"He was tall, pale. He looked like a...like...one of them. But he could speak. He saved me. He must have removed the metal" I rambled.  
"OK...OK" She soothed, taking my hand. "I think you need to sleep some more, get some rest. You'll see things clearer when you wake up."  
My eyes were heavy and I was tired, I’ll admit that much. I sat back on the chair and drifted off to sleep in my black sheet and thick bandages.  
The sound of Dutch loading her weapon woke me up.  
"Stay back!" She yelled, taking the safety off of her gun and readying it for discharge.  
I sprung up and looked behind me. Standing silently in the doorway like a ghost was my pale savior. I stared at him, mouth open. He was not fazed by Dutch pointing a gun at him. His growling bubbling away in his chest.  
"It's him." I croaked. Not taking my eyes off him. "Dutch, it's the man that saved my life. It’s him"  
I saw her look at the from the corner of my eye. "That was true?!" She exclaimed  
"How do you think I got back here?"  
"I don't know, there was a knock and when I opened the door and you were on the floor, unconscious. I assumed you'd made you own way back and passed out. Jesus, Lana... You were rambling before...You were on morphine, I thought you were high!"  
The tall stranger stood perfectly still, taking in our screechy exchange. Every so often making a click click clicking noise.  
"No. He helped me. He killed a Strigoi as it went to feed on me. Chopped its head clean off. Then he picked me up and that's all I remember".  
I looked over my shoulder at Dutch, whose mouth was also aghast, her gaze shooting from the man in the doorway to me. Her gun still up and pointing at him, but shaking with fear and confusion. "What the hell is this thing?" She whispered.  
I clung to the sheet around me like it was the Holy Grail. I was cold. Freezing.  
"I mean you no harm" the sound of his entirely normal voice snapped us both out of our trance and we both turned our heads to look at him.  
"He speaks?" Dutch shrieked.   
"That's what he said to me at the factory" I replied. I slowly and with great trepidation started to round the chair and move towards him.  
"Lana, don't!" Dutch protested. “He’s making creepy Strigoi noises, he's dangerous" But I kept moving until I was stood a couple of meters away from him. His skin was almost translucent, black and purple veins snaked and spiraled. His facial markings fascinated me. His ears were pointed, elf like. His gaze did not move. He was looking straight into my eyes with a calm serenity. His noises were morphing and combining into something I can only compare to a purr. He was clicking.  
"You saved my life" I whispered. Holding the sheet high enough to cover my modesty. "Thank you".  
"Gratitude is not necessary" he replied. His voice was soft, his accent British. "You may lower your weapon. While I am dangerous, I am of no danger to you" He assured us.  
Keeping my eyes on his, I waved my arm behind me for Dutch to put the gun down.  
"Are you sure?!" She yelled in disbelief.  
"Yes" I said, still gripped by his eyes.  
"I am aware that my appearance alarms you" He said.  
"You're one of them?" I asked  
"I am not, one of them" He answered. I sensed a slight hint of irritation. "My name is Quinlan. I am a Human-Strigoi hybrid"  
My eyes must have widened at this revelation. I heard Dutch gasp.  
"H-hybrid?" I stammered "I've seen it all now"  
A hint of amusement flickered across his face. His gaze moved to Dutch as he addressed her.  
"Your group. Where are the rest of them? The professor? The Rat catcher? The Doctor?" He asked  
"Uh...They...they're...Setrakian and Fet are out and Eph hasn't been seen in days. I don't know where he is"  
He nodded in acceptance. He seemed to know who everyone was already.  
"How do you know who everyone is?" I said  
"I have been watching this group since the beginning of the outbreak. We have a common goal. To stop the master"  
I inhaled and noticed the pain was starting to seep back quickly. It probed and pinched at my stomach, causing me to stumble briefly. Quinlan's arms shot out, grabbing my arms to steady me. My sheet slipping slightly to reveal more of my chest. He shifted his gaze politely towards the floor.  
"You need to rest" he stated. Click click click noises from his throat  
Dutch moved slowly and carefully, taking over supporting me and guided me back into my room and to my bed. I was so tired, yet I had so many questions. I had it in my head that I needed to thank Quinlan for saving me, as unnecessary as he said it is. This new stranger in my life was fascinating, yet I feared him. I needed to know more. But not right now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite dialogue heavy...love a bit of dialogue!

In the weeks following my injury, I slowly made progress, aided by Dutch's attentiveness and Eph's medical supplies. I was able to claw back some independence and was now able to do just about everything without assistance. The pain was still there sometimes, but I had come a surprisingly long way in a short space of time. Quinlan gradually introduced himself to the rest of the group. Everyone other than Eph, who was still AWOL. Quinlan would show up suddenly at random times. Standing in the shadows with his foreboding presence. Dutch had warmed to him but not completely, she still harbored a small mistrust of him. Fet, our Russian Pest Controller had decided from the off that he didn't like him. Continually throwing insult after insult at him. 'A Strigoi is a Strigoi, even if it's human too'. Fet saw himself as the protector of the group. Boyfriend to Dutch and bodyguard to the Professor, he was hot tempered and passionate about what he believed in. It was established that Quinlan and our group did in fact have a common goal, to kill the master. For many years the professor believed Quinlan to be a Myth. Known as ‘The Born’, he was the fifth and last remaining Human-Strigoi hybrid that holds the key to the Masters demise. Quinlan had explained that his purpose here on earth was solely to kill the Master, but that his motive was personal. He helped out with scavenger runs, tagging along with The Professor and Fet. They had told me he was an accomplished fighter, extremely fast, deadly and smart. Yet he was not a big talker or friendship maker. He still puzzled me, and I often found myself staring at him for long periods of time, my head full of questions.

I'd been spending more time on the roof over the summer as the weather changed. The distant sound of traffic and birds slowly filtered out as the infection took over the city, they were replaced with screams and twisted shrieks of feeding predators. The stars never changed though, and in them I took comfort and assigned each one to a loved one I’d lost. I always kept them with me this way. Clad in some army trousers and a black tank top, I’d taken a beer up to the roof with me on a night that Fet and Dutch clearly wanted to be alone and the professor had retired early after hours of trawling through books brimming with folklore.  
I sat on the wall that stretched the perimeter of the roof and popped the top of my bottle. My stomach tinged with Pain as I moved. It was dark in New York and there was a faint breeze, bringing with it the scent of ammonia. I become lost in my thoughts, enjoying the distant noises and solitude.  
"You come up here a lot" A voice from behind me. I didn’t bother to glance over my shoulder. There was no mistaking that voice.  
"Good evening, Quinlan" I said, taking my first sip of the sweet nectar and throwing my bottle top out into the abyss of the vampire ridden New York Streets. A faint ‘ting’ in the street below.  
"Good evening" he replied. Appearing next to me. "May I join you?"  
I hadn't spoken to him much since he saved my life. He was always preoccupied when he was around and his focus was solely on the professor’s knowledge of the Master and the exchange of information that was taking place between them. I was surprised at his desire to sit with me. I could not offer him anything except mindless chatter.  
"Of course" I said, motioning to the wall next to me.  
He sat down without a word and the two of us sat there for a number of minutes, listening to the shrieks and gunshots that were playing out below. The subtle clicking that his chest and throat made unsettled me. All the questions I wanted to ask swirled around in my mind. But I couldn't find a polite enough way to ask such intrusive things.  
"You have questions for me" He stated. My eyes widened and I looked at him.  
"How...?" I croaked.  
"I can tell what humans are thinking. Most of the time" He said "I mean not for this to be intrusive. My apologies if it has startled you. I have developed a keen interest in human thoughts and behavior"  
"I see" I replied. A little cautious of what was running through my mind. "Yes, I do have questions. I guess I just didn’t want to be… rude" I said, smiling at him thinly.  
"You may ask me what you wish" He said, repositioning himself on the wall to face me. His posture was bolt upright, he looked tense, but wasn't. The way he carried himself was with grace and elegance. He continued to click, a sound that I assumed was uncontrollable.  
I figured that since he was so willing to answer my questions, I should choose some good ones.  
"How are you half Strigoi?" I asked.  
"I was conceived by two humans, like you. My mother, she was turned by the master while I was in utero, When I was born, I had the abilities and attributes of Strigoi, and Humans. It is both a blessing and a curse"  
"It's amazing" I said, almost cutting him off before finishing his sentence. I looked into my beer bottle before taking another gulp.  
"Do you..." I started "How do I put this without it sounding horrible...? Do you..."  
He interrupted "Feed on humans?"  
I felt a pang of fear. I studied his face for moment before nodding slowly.  
"Yes" he stated. "But not just any humans. I choose my meals wisely and only intend to rid the world of people that do not deserve a place here in the process. Across the years I was lucky enough to find one or two willing participants. But it is an intimate act which requires great trust. Unlike the Master and other full Strigoi, I am unable to turn humans when feeding on them."  
I was staring again. This time unashamed and blatant. I no longer cared if he knew how much he intrigued me.  
"I'm sorry if I’m staring. You're...you're fascinating…incredible." I said.  
His eyes flickered, I wasn't sure but it could have been a reaction to the compliment he'd just received. I kept tracing over the black veins behind his skin, the markings on his face and his icy eyes. I noticed a spiraled pattern on his throat, tinged with red. He really was fascinating.  
"You say 'over the years', how old are you exactly?" I asked  
"Two thousand years old" Was his reply. I felt my heart flutter and my eyebrows shoot up. Surely that couldn't be right.  
"T-two thousand? I stuttered. He nodded, once.  
I sat for a moment without moving, taking in this information and trying to process it. He didn't look two thousand...or did he? My long black hair blew in the breeze, covering my face, Quickly moving the distraction out of the way, I felt him watching me. He made me nervous, anxious. I had never been this close to a Strigoi without it trying to eat me, and here I was having a civilized conversation with one. If someone had told me a few months ago that this is what I’d be doing, I’d have laughed in their face.  
"Your pain?" He asked. I smiled at him again. "It's getting less and less every day" Noises again, vibrating noises. Reminding me. Purring. My heart quickened.  
"I have made an observation” he said.  
"Oh...?" I wasn't expecting this. He looked into my eyes. At least a minute passed before he actually spoke.  
"You are afraid of me"  
My body tensed, I swallowed and took a deep breath.  
"Yes" I said. Looking into my lap and choosing honesty as the best policy.  
"You have no reason to fear me. I would not harm you. Nor would I let anyone else harm you"  
"S-so you don't want to eat me?" I said. Instantly regretting it the moment it left my mouth. I sounded like a terrified child. His eyes changed, I sensed a tinge of sadness.  
"Lana, if I wanted to eat you, you'd already be dead". He glared at me for a moment before his gaze left mine and moved out onto the city's expanse.  
"I'm sorry" I mumbled.  
"Do not be, you would not be the first one to make such an assumption."  
I took another long gulp of beer and sighed, setting my back on the wire behind the wall. Five minutes passed while we sat in each other’s company, able to enjoy the silence and the occasional animal like noises he made, which I was getting used to.  
"Why did you save my life?" I blurted out, shocking myself with the use of such a direct and seemingly badly timed question. I realized I had a burning desire to know and I had waited weeks to ask.  
"You could have left me there and not bothered. I am not of value to you. Dutch, she's a hacker and good with all the tech, Fet, his knowledge of this city’s sewer systems and the behavior of the Stigoi is second to none, the professors experience with the Master is invaluable and Eph is the sciency guy with a drinking problem. I just…I just make dinner, do the laundry and occasionally wind up almost getting killed. Why did you bother?"  
He paused for what seemed like an eternity. His eyes seemingly fixed on something in the distance. His facial structure was strange, unusually high, protruding cheekbones. His skin was scarred and looked rough. He was strangely appealing. I thought he wasn’t going to answer, when eventually, he turned his head to face me.  
"I had been following your group for so long, I’d grown quite fond of you".  
He got up and was gone before I could even reply. I was left on the roof, my head spinning and possibly even more confused than before.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay with me! It gets better! It's a real slow burn, this one. Also, pretty much all of the action from the story lines has been removed and replaced with interaction between my characters.

Once we'd packed up the last of the apartment, we loaded the truck and regrouped to discuss the best strategy to find our new home. The apartment had become compromised on a number of occasions by Strigoi trying to feed in the night, breaking windows and almost succeeding in their deadly missions if it weren't for Fet with his gun and the professor with his heavy, silver sword. I also played a part, by standing in the corner and trying to deafen them with my screaming. We'd decided the best place to go would have to be somewhere high up, with plenty of room that can't be accessed by the windows. We didn't quite know where, but we were using the daylight to find somewhere. Fet and the Professor were in the front of the vehicle, Dutch was packing the last of the boxes into the truck. The air was icy cold, our scarves and gloves, fighting to keep it at bay. I could see my breath on the air.  
"I'm just going to do one last sweep of the place" I called out to Dutch as I approached the front door. From the corner of my eye I caught sight of a figure standing in the middle of the alleyway looking at me and heard the unmistakable growl of Strigoi. I turned to see Quinlan looking at me. His hood up, sunglasses on and his femur handled sword sheathed in its harness behind his back. It occurred to me that he was out in the daylight, I concluded that his human side must mean he is able to withstand at least some light. His hands were by his sides and his long, wool coat's shoulders were peppered with icy dew.  
"You love to just appear out of nowhere, don't you?" I said, smiling at him.  
"I can't help it if you are unobservant" He replied. A smirk appearing briefly on his face. "You are moving, yet you have no destination"  
"Uh…yeah." I said, kicking the frozen gravel beneath my military style boots. "We need somewhere like a high-rise apartment block or something. It's not safe here anymore."  
He paused and contemplated something for a moment. His head tilting to one side, his throat growling.  
"I have a residence in the city that you are all welcome to use" he said. My eyebrows lifted.  
"Really?" I asked. "That's kind of you"  
"It's more a practical and logical solution" He said, emotionless. "I think you’ll find it appropriate for your needs"  
"FET!" I yelled over my shoulder.  
Fet leaned out of the trucks window "What?"  
"Mr. Quinlan says we can go stay at his residence"  
"Oh, great! Let's all go and live with the half-breed muncher!" He shouted sarcastically.  
"Fet! Don't be a dick! He's offering us his help!" I replied angrily.  
Quinan’s expression never changed and he didn't move an inch. Fet and The professor exchanged words inside the truck’s cab, I could hear Fet asking if we'd all lost our minds before The professor poked his head out of his side  
"Mr. Quinlan. Very kind of you to offer us a place to stay. Tell me, will there be room enough for all of us?"  
"Indeed there will. I believe you will be quite surprised" Quinlan answered. I was excited to find out what that meant.  
"Very well then!" The professor exclaimed "Jump in and show us where we are going!"  
Fet grumbled to himself and I saw Dutch slap his shoulder from the seat behind. He rolled his eyes.  
Quinlan and I made our way to the truck. I locked the apartment's door before climbing into the truck last. My eyes never left Quinlan for the entire journey. He sat quietly, occasionally glancing over at me in between giving Fet directions. 

The road was blocked in various places, Fet worked carefully to swerve and twist our way around obstacles in the road. Eventually, we pulled up outside a five star casino hotel. The Regency.  
"Are you kidding me?!"I yelled as I got out of the truck. The huge buildings architecture was beautiful, 1920's art decor. Its huge doors towered above us. I was finding it hard to hide my excitement.   
"Not that way" Quinlan said as he grabbed a box and walked to an alley at the side of the building. We followed dutifully, all gasping and making exciting jeers at the prospect of living in this place.  
Quinlan unlocked a side door and held it open with one hand, while holding the box under his other arm. I proceeded inside.  
Through a maze of corridors we eventually happened upon the foyer. Long, leather couches, gold and white heavy drapes and a plush carpet greeted us.  
"The elevator is still functional" Quinlan said "But I’m not sure how long that will last. I live on the tenth floor. The entire building is empty, I cleared it myself. You are welcome to stay wherever you want. There is a fully stocked bar, a swimming pool, sauna, gym and of course a casino for those of you that like to take risks."  
Fet and Dutch exchanged a glance before running off hand in hand towards the door to the Casino. The professor, Quinlan and I entered the elevator. The quietness inside of the moving tin box was heavy and Quinlan's Strigoi noises were extremely loud.  
"Mr Quinlan. I hope you don't mind my asking. What is that noise that you make? I have heard it for many years in the other Strigoi, yet have never figured out exactly what it is" The professor asked. I was grateful, because it was something I’d been wanting to know since the day we first met.  
Quinlan didn't seem phased by the directness of the question.  
"As you will know, Professor the Strigoi have a proboscis, a Stinger that they use to feed. When not in use it doesn't lay dormant. It moves around. I also possess this physical attribute of the Strigoi. The noise becomes consistent, but quiet if I am content. If I am about to feed, it intensifies."  
"And the clicking?" I asked.  
"We're here" He said, ignoring my question.  
The elevator doors opened onto a vast and plush corridor filled with doors. Quinlan was first out of the elevator, turning to face us.  
"I live in room 508, all the other rooms are vacant. Help yourselves. There is also a bar on this floor that you are welcome to use as a communal area."  
“Thank you, Mr Quinlan” The professor said as he started off in search of a room, reaching room 509, he pushed the door open and disappeared inside. I looked over at Quinlan, also about to thank him for letting us stay here.  
"The clicking is also the stinger. I'm sure you'll notice why it clicks, with time." he said bluntly, handing me the box under his arm "Your possessions, I believe"  
I took the box slowly, my eyes never leaving his, until he broke away and went into room 508.


	5. Chapter 5

Not wanting to be too far from everyone, I chose room 507. It was the single biggest hotel room I’d ever seen. I had a living area, bedroom, balcony, walk in closet and a bath that was bigger than my entire apartment before the outbreak. Once I’d unpacked my things, I took a shower, put my hair into a braid and decided to put on a nicer outfit to go and check out the bar. The scar on my stomach had healed nicely into a thin, straight line. It was still tender to the touch but was still making progress. I chose some tight black jeans, knee high boots and a light purple shirt. Leaving the luxury of my huge room. I started down the corridor to the bar. When I passed the other rooms they were silent. As I approached the open plan bar area I heard voices. As I listened, I realized they were talking about Quinlan.  
"I just don’t like this. He’s probably invited us here so he can trap us here and eat us one by one. We're like a walking buffet!" said Fet.  
"Oh, c'mon, I don't think that's his motive, Fet. He’s been hanging about for weeks and he’s not hurt any of us" Dutch corrected.  
"Yet. Then what is his Motive? We can’t that valuable to him. He seems keen on Lana. I've seen the way he looks at her jugular"  
At that moment I lost my temper and stormed into the room. Fet and Dutch were sat at the bar opposite each other. They stood when they saw me.  
"Don’t you think that if he wanted to eat any of us, he would have done it by now? We may not trust him but I doubt he completely trusts us and we need him. Can't you see that? We can’t do this alone. He can teach a lot about these...these things! He wants to kill the master just as much as us. He's invited us here because we needed a place to stay. He's helped us. He saved my life when I contribute just about NOTHING to this group.” I was angry, my eyes locked firmly on Fet.  
"He's a Strigoi, Lana." He muttered.  
"He's also human" I snapped. "He's a man, just like you"  
At the sight of Fet and Dutch's shocked faces, I turned on my heels and headed back to my room, only to be stopped by Quinlan standing in the middle of the hall. Without his coat on, I could clearly see the pattern on his throat, its shape and coloring. The mesmerizing spirals and red tint. He was wearing a tight, long sleeved Navy blue top, with a velvet waistcoat of the same color over the top. The tight fabric on his arms showed his muscular frame. We looked at each other in silence for a moment, before I pushed past him and went into my room.  
I paced the floor several times and admitted to myself that maybe I’d over reacted. I didn’t like the comments Fet made about Quinlan, but I was also aware that Quinlan wasn’t stupid and never seemed bothered by any of it. So why was I?  
A soft knock at the door. I stopped in my tracks. Probably Dutch, I thought. Upon looking through the spy hole, I saw Quinlan standing there.  
I opened the door a crack and looked at him.  
"I can sense your agitation" He said.  
"Then you can probably sense everything else I’m thinking too" I remarked.  
"Not all of it. May I come in?" He asked. I hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open wider. He paused when he passed me in the doorway, looking into my eyes before proceeding into the room. I closed the door and we turned to face one another.  
"You defend me" He said  
I signed deeply and shook my head, rolling my eyes. "Yes, apparently I do."  
"It is not necessary, although you should know..." He paused "...I am flattered that you feel so passionately about my honor"  
He began to click as his head tilted to the side. "You are a sensitive soul"  
I moved towards the window, moving the thin curtain so I could see outside. He had not yet given me a reason to think he would hurt me, but I still found it difficult to fully trust him when I was alone with him. He watched and waited for my next move.  
"Can I ask you a question?" I said.  
"Of course"  
"Do you feel emotions? Like humans do?"  
He hesitated, thinking about his answer, then stepped towards me.  
"I feel emotions just like you or any other human" he said. A pang of sadness ran through my body. All the horrible things he's heard Fet say, even Dutch in the beginning. I sighed again.  
"I was once known as ‘The Night Demon’, so such trivial insults do not concern me. To immerse one's self in emotion is to become distracted, vulnerable and complacent."  
"You think emotion's make us weak?" I asked  
"No, I think emotion's make me weak"  
I glanced out of the window again, observing the world outside, the soft blow of the cold New York air, faint noises in the distance.  
“Demon" I said quietly, examining the word as I said it. “Emotions are part of what makes us human. What enhances your human side, surely” I said.  
“You look nice" He interrupted my thoughts. I was taken by surprise by the sudden compliment. It seemed Quinlan was too, he quickly turned to leave. Stopping by the door, he placed his hand on the heavy, golden handle.  
"I will leave you now" He said, not turning around.  
"You’re clicking" I observed.  
"Yes, I am" he said with almost no emotion before opening the door and disappearing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if anyone's reading and wants me to continue <3

"I will go with Lana to collect supplies" said Quinlan, seated at the bar across from the others. He stood, heading for the hall.  
I'd walked in too late to know what was going on. "You’re coming with me" he said, passing me "be ready to go scavenging in ten minutes".  
I looked sadly at Fet "I'm sorry..."  
"Don't worry about it, mama" he said "Anyone would think you've got a soft spot for him. You were right though, I was being a dick and I could at least give the half breed a chance" he lifted his glass to me in a 'we're OK gesture'  
"He’s decided he’s taking you with him today. Now, go get us some cool stuff" he grinned.  
Dutch approached me. "I need to talk to you" She whispered, grabbing my arm and ushering me into the hallway.  
"What is it?" I asked  
"Quinlan" She started "I overheard him talking to the Professor last night, Setrakian asked him why he was so distracted by you."  
"What? Distracted? Is he?" I questioned.  
"Yes, he said that he's noticed how Quinlan looks at you, he loses his concentration when you’re around. Now he wants to take you on this scavenger run, I mean why you? No offence but you’re the least experienced out of all of us.”  
I had no answers for her. I had no idea why he wanted me with him. Dutch was right, I was the most likely to get killed out of everyone, I was not a skilled fighter, I panicked easily and screamed too loud. I was not good under pressure and was probably more of a hindrance than a help. I also did not know why I seemed to be the reason Quinlan couldn’t concentrate.  
Dutch took my hand “Be careful, Lana. His reply to Setrakian was just that he was fond of you and that everyone has a part to play in this. I doubt he’d hurt you but just remember what he is, OK?”  
I nodded and we hugged before I ran back to my room to get changed into some more appropriate clothing. I was nervous, Dutch’s words circled round my mind.  
I drove though the city with Quinlan next to me in his hood and shades. His femur handled sword clasped between his hands in his lap. I had to admit, although he was a little stiff and wasn’t the best conversationalist, he looked like the kind of guy you never crossed. We were on our way to a shopping mall which I had maintained was a terrible idea since before we left the hotel due to it being in darkness and therefore a prime location for sleeping, hungry Strigoi. Quinlan ignored my pleas for him to choose someone more capable of such a job and informed me that we needed more medical supplies should anything happen to any of us and I was going to be the one to get it. Said medical supplies would be found in a drug store contained within the mall. He assured me he would keep me safe, but I was under no illusion that our mission could well be that of a suicide mission.  
I parked the truck outside the entrance and turned off the ignition.  
"Are you sure about this? I'm kind of clumsy. I'm just going to get us both killed" I pleaded.  
He stared at the road ahead, not moving at the sound of my high pitched, worried voice. "No, you won't" he said and swiftly got out of the truck, sheathing his sword behind his back. I followed.  
"You need to learn to face these situations. Stay close to me" He ordered "Under no circumstances are you to leave my side unless instructed to do so. If we are attacked, you are to stay behind me but remain alert to any threats coming from other directions. Do you understand?" I nodded like a child being scolded. He handed me a gun and a machete from the back of the car and we entered the Mall.  
The inside was dusty and the air was heavy with the smell of ammonia, it was eerily silent. Apart from the slight growling noise coming from Quinlan's stinger. The drug store was on the first floor, it couldn't be seen from the entrance which filled me with dread. It meant we'd have to work our way further into this death trap. As we walked I heard scuttling and rattling, I stopped and glanced over at Quinlan. He had heard it too but motioned with his hand for us to proceed. Once we reached the elevator, a loud screaming noise rose up from a nearby electronics store. My eyes widened and my heartbeat raced when I noticed half a dozen Strigoi standing in the doorway. I froze to the spot. Quinlan stepped in front of me and drew his sword, the guttural growling in his chest grew louder and louder.  
"Stay here, remember what I said" He walked calmly towards the waiting predators. I quickly scanned the empty shops around us and the direction from which we’d entered. All clear. They lunged towards him, stingers out, ready to engage. I watched in awe as he hacked and slashed his way through all of them in a matter of minutes, white, worm-filled blood flew through the air and my stomach turned at the sound and sight of Quinlan ripping one of their heads off and tossing it into a nearby fountain like a discarded football. Once he had dispatched all of them, he approached me and sheathed his sword.  
"Are you OK?" He asked  
"Me?!" I exclaimed. "I'm fine, they didn't get within ten feet of me. Are you OK?"  
"Always" He said as he pressed the elevator button and calmly stepped inside. The moving metal box was a surreal experience. The Mall hadn’t completely lost power and the elevator still possessed a dimly lit, strip bulb and some lighthearted, upbeat elevator music. Stood there next to a half Strigoi with a machete in my hand, a gun tucked into my belt and listening to this peppy music made me struggle not to see the ridiculousness of it all. I tried to suppress a giggle and failed, biting my lip. I felt Quinlan look over at me. I smiled at him broadly and was met with a slight smirk, cleverly disguised, but it was there.  
Once we'd found the store and Quinlan had murdered three more Strigoi, we were busy stocking up our bags with supplies in separate isles. Occasionally, I could hear what I thought was a crawling noise. I dismissed it as nothing and carried on filling my bag with a plethora of first aid supplies. A thud from my left. My head snapped towards the origin of the noise. A small, Strigoi child appeared at the end of the isle. Awkwardly crawling towards me, a look of desperation on it’s now twisted and unrecognizable face. My heart jumped into my chest as I caught sight of my machete on a nearby shelf, too far away for me to possibly get to without being turned into Strigoi smoothie. I froze to the spot for a second before I remembered Quinlan had given me a gun. I slowly reached into my waistband to retrieve it, listening to the child’s stinger ratting hungrily in its chest as it crawled slowly towards me. It was teasing me, toying with me, playing with its food. I found the gun and pulled it out as quickly as I could, losing my footing and falling backwards as it lunged towards me. I pointed the gun at the child and pulled the trigger. I missed and hit the shelf next to its head. In a second, it was on top of me, pale, grey skin glistening, stinger protruding from its mouth and hovering over my head, its bony hand pinning my gun to the floor. It’s drool pooled on the bright, shiny floor.  
Before i could even register it, Quinlan had swept me up from underneath it and took me to the other side of the room, the speed of it knocking the wind out of me. I was a split second away from the child’s stinger latching on to my neck. It jumped up on the shelving and growled at us. With my heart almost exploding in my chest, gasping for air, I pointed my gun again, my hands shaking and while my eyes were firmly fixed on my target, I pulled the trigger and squeezed my eyes shut. I heard the child’s head explode and the sound of worm blood hitting the floor. I opened my eyes and saw the small Strigoi curled up at my feet, lifeless. I began to hyperventilate.  
"Oh...oh my god" I breathed. Looking up at Quinlan. “It was a kid!” Tears formed in my eyes.  
Quinlan put his arm around me and pulled me into him. I accepted the sudden act of humanity from him, he was surprisingly warm, firm, and secure. My breathing slowed again and in that moment I realized I felt safe.  
“It was not a child, Lana. It hadn’t been a child for a long time.”


	7. Chapter 7

Later on, Fet, Setrakian and Quinlan sat in the Bar at the hotel. Their chatter was low and I could barely make out what was being said as I entered the room. Quinlan was first to look at me, over his shoulder, before slowly standing up and turning to face me.  
"What's going on?" I asked.  
Fet also stood up "We're going after the Lumen. Quinlan has been to see the Ancients. We will have to bid in an auction to obtain it, but apparently money is no option for the three wrinkly munchers that live in the sewers." He grinned.  
Setrakian stood and grabbed his cane which was resting on the table.  
"Mr Fet, we should go at once. Lana, maybe you could prepare us some food for our return"  
I nodded as Fet and The professor left the room. Quinlan was still looking at me. I smiled at him.  
"You never smile" I stated  
"I have not had many things to smile about in my years" He said “Are you OK…after earlier?”  
I nodded “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for the um, the hug…it-it helped”  
"Not a problem. If you'll excuse me" He walked past me and into the hallway, leaving me stood alone in the bar.   
Despite my obvious failings with the gun the first time, I felt like I’d achieved something that I only would have achieved if placed in that situation. Quinlan was the one who made me go, he was the one that pushed me to face my fears and he was also the one that kept me safe.

I made my way down to the ground floor of the hotel. The place was eerie and silent everywhere I went. Following the signs to the Kitchen, I still found myself walking with care and listening for every slight sound. I was never 100% at ease, even in the apparent safe confines of Mr. Quinlan's giant hotel.  
The Kitchen was a huge, industrial, well equipped haven for many a budding chef in its heyday. I didn't know where to start, so I began opening cupboards, pulling out knives and bowls, pots and plates. I needed ingredients, so I made my way to the pantry and the fridges towards the back of the room.  
The surfaces were chrome, spotlessly clean and there was a faint smell of detergent. Like they'd been cleaned recently. The lighting was low, much to my annoyance. I reached a giant, double fronted fridge and pulled on its heavy handles.  
I gasped at what sat before me. Row upon row of blood packets, all different types. There had to be at least thirty. I stood, gawping at the mini blood bank inside. I knew he had to eat, But seeing it all there made it even more real. At least he wasn’t hurting anyone.  
"I hoped you wouldn't have to see this" Quinlan's voice from very close behind me, I could feel his breath moving my hair. "I intended to clear it before anyone decided to use the kitchen. You got here first"  
He leaned over my shoulder and pushed the fridge door closed in front of me. I turned slowly to look up at him, towering over me.  
"My apologies if this has...unsettled you" he said quietly.  
I hesitated for a moment and sighed "Its…it’s fine, you have to eat too. Besides, this is your place we’re living in"  
He looked at me with a blank expression. Clicking noises.  
"Now, I have food to make. Is there anything edible for humans here?" I shuffled past him and began opening drawers, looking for cooking utensils.   
"The pantry is fully stocked, but you'll forgive me if I cannot tell you if it is all still edible. I don't eat like a human, so care not for use by dates"  
"Its fine, I get that" I smirked, pulling out a sharp knife from a drawer and placing it on the counter. I walked towards to pantry door.  
Inside was a glorious sight. Row up on row of tins, packets, seasoning. I began picking through the shelves like a toddler at a toy store. I turned and smiled at Quinlan again.  
"There’s so much stuff!" I grinned, picking up tins from the shelves and reading the labels.  
"I will leave you now" he said, turning away from me.  
"What? Why?" I asked "Stay here with me, talk to me. I have a lot to learn about y-."  
"I must not." he said loudly, cutting me off. A wave of disappointment washed through me. He wasn’t the most expressive, but there was unmistakable irritation on his face. I felt like I’d been scolded.  
"I must leave. I have somewhere to be" He said. And then he was gone. Leaving me stood in the pantry with tinned tomatoes in each hand. 

Fet and Setrakian returned way after dark, with Quinlan in tow. They'd obviously been ambushed. Fet's jacket was covered in white Strigoi blood and The professor was exhausted. Dutch met them in the foyer with me.  
"What happened?!" She said, running to Fet and clasping his face in her hands.  
"Munchers! Munchers everywhere! There seems to be a hell of a lot more of them lately" he answered "The masters Nazi Butler tried to stop us and take the book."  
"Luckily, Mr Quinlan turned up at the right moment" The professor breathed, nodding a thanks in Quinlan's direction and passing him a brown fabric bag.  
"Yeah, with an army of ex-cons. He's full of surprises!" Fet joked.  
I approached Quinlan “Were you hurt?” I asked. He looked down at me.   
“No” He said sharply.  
The professor motioned for Quinlan to open the bag. The Lumen was a huge, thick, shiny, silver book that looked centuries old. I stood at the side of the group, silent, but taking it all in. They discussed what may be inside and how it could be translated. Quinlan had been around for a long time, so was more likely to be able to make some sense of it. He and the Professor decided to go up to the tenth floor bar and start to decipher it. Dutch and Fet started moving boxes in from the van that were filled with books that they’d retrieved from Setrakian’s old place, to aid in the search for answers.  
"Before everyone leaves" I yelled. "I slaved away in the kitchen for hours making you guy’s dinner! It's in the kitchen"   
Fet breezed past me and planted a kiss on my cheek.  
"Ooooh, I am hung-ry!" 

I made my way back up to the Tenth floor, with a bowl of Pasta for the professor. Upon entering the bar, I noticed he and Quinlan were both engrossed in their reading. Once again, Quinlan was first to look up at me, then away again.  
"Setrakian, I brought you some food, you must be hungry" I said, placing the bowl on the huge marble table that he had made his office. It dwarfed him, this frail yet surprisingly capable old man sat in such a huge, elaborately decorated room, fit for a king. I had formed somewhat of a close relationship with the professor. He was a man that tried not to show how fond he was of anyone, choosing instead to remain snappy and direct. It didn’t mean he wasn’t a good person, he was selfless, determined and extremely wise but he was also damaged and angry for the many years he had devoted his life to this cause, for the loved ones he’d lost and the suffering he’d witnessed at the hands of the Master. It was the Professor that convinced the others to let me stay in the group when I had nothing to offer in return. They couldn’t just leave me out on the street, he said before convincing them I could probably be of some help somehow. I was eternally grateful for everything he’d done for me. For taking me in, for listening to me rant and for becoming the grandfather I never had.  
"Thank you my dear" He said, pulling the bowl towards himself. I smiled at him and for once, my smile was returned. I could hear Quinlan quietly clicking away behind me. I leaned on the corner of the table.  
"Is there something I can do to help?" I asked  
"Yes, leave us" spat Quinlan from behind me. The curt comment cut right through me, I span around, mouth open. Shocked. I approached him and took out a blood bag from my jacket pocket.   
"This is for you" I slapped the bag on the table and watched as a thinly disguised look of surprise crossed his face.  
Before walking out I quickly looked at Setrakian, who was staring at Quinlan with his fork halfway to his mouth. I left the room with haste and stopped in the hallway at the sound of Setrakian’s voice.  
"Mr. Quinlan, that was...rude" he said. I could hear Quinlan sigh and slam his paperwork down on the sofa.  
"Yes" Quinlan said. "I find I am having to distance myself from her, professor."  
"Forgive my intrusive observation Mr. Quinlan but I believe there is something about young Lana that…bothers you" Setrakian stated. There was a slight pause.  
"I am not distracted from my cause, professor". Quinlan rebuffed.  
"I am unsure if you are able to feel affection towards humans, Mr. Quinlan. But I am almost certain this is what I am witnessing unfold before my very eyes...and you don't like it"  
There was a long pause. I stepped closer to the door and strained to hear.  
"I am able to feel everything you do, professor. However, emotions distract me from my goal."  
A moment of silence, then movement. The professor was shuffling paperwork around.  
"So you feel the need to be angry with her. To push her away." Setrakian started "You say your life has an end date, and that when the Master dies, you die. If this is true, then may I suggest to you, that you allow yourself at least some semblance of enjoyment before your final days? This may be your destiny, Mr. Quinlan, but there is no reason you cannot indulge your human half before you die. I say this with the best of intentions, please do not hurt her. She’s a good person." I could hear Setrakian taking long slurps of the meal I’d given him in between sentences.  
Another silence, this time longer. I waited, on tenterhooks.   
"I have been reading about Strigoi Hunters, professor. There is a commonality between them all. The desire to act alone. Driving them to madness."  
"Good job that's nothing like you" The professor jested.  
"And you" Quinlan answered. At that moment, I knew that he was smiling.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice long Chapter. Things are movin' along!  
> Oooh I love a slow burn!
> 
> Forgive any factually incorrect things, I try my best but this is only a bit of fun :)

I woke to a loud bang. A Gunshot. I sprang out of bed and ran to the doorway of my room wearing nothing but my tiny shorts and spaghetti strap top. In front of me was Quinlan and in his firm grasp was Ephraim Goodweather's neck.  
"How do you know the professor?" He said calmly. I could hear Eph making strangled attempts to breathe. Fet appeared, running down the hall towards them.  
"Woah! Stop! He's a friend!" He said to Quinlan, standing beside him. Quinlan loosened his grasp and slowly let Eph fall to the floor.  
"My apologies, Doctor. I had to be sure. Since you have been making yourself scarce recently, I had not noticed your changed appearance." Quinlan said.  
"Wha-what the hell is that thing?" Eph gasped.  
"This is Quinlan. It's a long story. A good story" Fet said, offering his hand. Eph took it and the big Russian hauled him to his feet.  
"How the hell did you find us anyway?" Fet asked.  
"I saw Dutch unloading boxes outside earlier. Figured you wouldn't be too far away" Eph studied Quinlan's face for a moment.  
“What happened to your hair?” Fet laughed. Eph slapped him on the back playfully before following him into the tenth floor bar.

I stood in the doorway to my room, staring at Quinlan. His back was turned but he could see me from the corner of his eye, over his shoulder. I knew he was watching me. I could feel my hair tickling the backs of my arms as it fell down my back. We must have stood there for an eternity before he suddenly moved. Quicker than my eyes could see and in a split second he was stood over me, his hands on the door frame either side of me. Close enough for me to see every line in his skin, feel every breath he took and hear the powerful clicking and growling noise emanating from his throat. His rapid movement had resulted in my hair being blown about my face. He was a lot taller than me and I could feel my breathing and heart rate quicken. I shut my eyes and waited anxiously. What for I wasn't sure.  
When did he last feed? Was this it? Was he about to eat me?  
"Open your eyes" He breathed. His voice quiet but demanding. I slowly opened my eyes to see the perplexing pattern of his throat in front of me. He moved a hand and brushed my hair from my eyes, tracing a soft, ticklish line down my cheek and settling under my chin, which he lifted with his finger. His eyes had an intense stare to them, like he was looking into my soul.  
"You are still afraid of me" He said and he was right, I was. I knew I didn’t need to answer him. His finger was still under my chin, holding my gaze up to his face. He leaned in even closer. For a split second, I thought he might kiss me.  
“We cannot be friends, Lana.” He whispered.  
“I-I’m fine with that” I said bluntly. I attempted to step back and his hand moved from my face. I felt his grip on my wrist.  
“You are everywhere I look” He spat. I wasn’t sure what this meant, we lived in the same hotel, on the same floor, and we were neighbors. What did he expect?  
“If my presence offends you that much, you should have let me die on that factory floor” I snapped, his grip tightened around my arm.  
“Maybe I should have” he hissed. I yanked my arm away, he let me go and we stared at each other in the doorway of the hotel room he told me I could stay in, after he saved my life…because he was ‘fond of me’. He turned slightly to walk away before slamming his fist into the wall beside the doorframe with an almighty crash. Shock flashed through my entire body as I flinched and backed away even further. His hand was swallowed by the crumbling hole in the partition wall. Once the dust had settled, he slowly removed his hand and glared at me, his throat rattling and growling louder than I’d ever heard.  
I could hear my rapid heartbeat in my head, it was so loud I thought he might be able to hear it too. My chest was tight and I could barely breathe through the fear. A tear rolled down my cheek and took me by surprise.  
He closed his eyes briefly as if collecting his thoughts. His face softened slightly. “I’m sorry” He said, before leaving the doorway. I heard the door to the next room slam shut. 

 

In the morning, I was still sat in the same place I had been all night, on the corner of the big bed, staring at the gigantic hole in the wall next to the door. I had not slept a wink and kept going over the nights events in my mind. I hadn’t intended to be so irritating, but he invited us here, he saved my life and now he’d decided I was annoying? I was extremely confused and hurt, not to mention frightened. I had never seen aggression from him, especially not directed at me. He was usually so calm and composed. So in control.  
After the sun had spilled its bright orange rays into the lavish suite and I’d memorized every crack and pattern in the hole in the wall. I could see the expensive looking hallway wallpaper through it, gold and beige stripes. After collecting my thoughts and summoning some motivation, I decided to take a shower and try and wash away some of what had happened. When I was done, I put on my jeans and tank top and sat in the living area, drinking coffee.  
Setrakian knocked on the door.  
“Lana?” His frail voice muffled by the big, heavy door. I got up and pulled it open. He looked sympathetically at me.  
“You don’t look so good, my dear. We missed you at breakfast” I had been up early making everyone breakfast most days since we’d moved here.  
“You mean Fet was annoyed he had to cook for himself?” I jested. Setrakian’s eyes moved to the hole in the wall.  
“Are you going to tell me what happened here?” he asked, running his fingers over the jagged edges. “I only know one person in this hotel strong enough to cause such damage”  
“Uh…Quinlan…he…” I didn’t know how to finish. His eyes widened  
“Did he hurt you?!” He asked with urgency.  
“No. I mean, he grabbed my wrist, but no, he didn’t hurt me.”  
Setrakian bundled into the room and closed the door.  
“Tell me, Lana. What happened?”  
I went and sat on my bed again, curling my legs underneath me. Slowly, I explained all the details to the Professor, who sat in angry silence, listening to my every word. His thin lips set in a straight line. After I’d finished speaking, he sighed and sat on the white chair in the corner, rubbing his hands together.  
“Lana” He started “What I have observed about Mr. Quinlan, is that he distances himself from friendships or any kind of relationship, as his life now has an upcoming end date. He cares not for anything other than killing the Master. You have provided him with…something else to think about.”  
“I haven’t asked him for anything though” I interjected, slamming my hand on the bedsheets “I’ve done nothing. My mere presence irritates him”  
“Yes, and why is that, Lana?” he asked.  
“I don’t know!” I cried. “He’s just got angry every time he sees me recently. Maybe I should move down to the next floor so I’m not so near him”.  
“Nonsense” He scoffed “I’m not having you move away from the rest of us because the half breed refuses to acknowledge his feelings”  
I sat completely still and locked eyes with the professor.  
“He hates me” I said.  
His eyes narrowed and he stood and placed his hand on my shoulder. “No, Lana. He doesn’t”.

 

That day, I decided to go out for some air. I needed to clear my head and I couldn’t do that in the confines of the hotel. It was daylight, I didn’t intend to go too far and I was well equipped with a sword and a gun. Not that I was 100% confident in using them. I figured I probably knew enough about how to dispatch Strigoi, I just needed to stop yelling and work on my aim. I wandered down the main street at a slow pace. The air was crisp and cold and it was snowing lightly. It was quiet except for the distant shriek of sirens and my boots on the gravel. Using the safety of the light to clear my head, I could think of nothing but Quinlan’s seemingly ferocious hatred of me. For the first time since I had joined the group, I felt like I didn’t belong.  
My hands were freezing, shoving them in the pockets of my leather jacket provided little relief, but I persevered. Passing a Chinese restaurant that had been looted, I heard shuffling from a nearby trashcan. I stopped and battled with the urge to approach it and flip the lid. Maybe it was a raccoon? Curiosity got the better of me and I un-holstered my gun and held it in front of me with my dominant arm. My other hand gripped the side of the heavy lid. I took a deep breath, counted to five and and threw it upwards with all my might. Peering over the side of the trashcan, I caught sight of pale white skin, a skinny creature, a small, child Strigoi much like the one that had attacked me in the mall. It was crouched underneath a large piece of cardboard, shielding it’s self from the light. There were long black strands of hair hanging from a balding head, skin cracked, eyes devoid of anything other than instinct and thirst. Its face twisted in pain and its leg was hanging off at the knee. Worms writhed and burned in the daylight as they wriggled out of the wound. It was severely injured which meant it was a lot less of a threat to me. Its stinger shot out of its mouth towards me but stopped short and fell to the floor of the trashcan, its energy had been sapped. I studied it for a moment.  
“Maybe you could be useful” I said to it, it growled in response as it clung onto its cardboard shield. I put my gun away as I scanned the surrounding area for something that resembled rope and happened across an old dog leash and collar in a cardboard box in an alley. Jackpot. Tucking the leash in on its self so it created a slip knot, and crept up behind the trashcan. Standing on a plastic crate, I tossed the cardboard away from the Strigoi, threw the leash over its head and pulled as hard as I could. It writhed and screamed in pain at both the exposure to the daylight and the pain in its neck and leg. I pulled with all my might until the Strigoi fell out of the trashcan and onto the floor with a thud. It wasn’t as heavy as I’d anticipated, it’s frail, weak body must have been starving. I dragged it over the floor until its face hit the deck. Standing on the back of its neck I managed to thread the dog collar around the front of its face, into its open mouth and tightened it at the back of its head, providing a decent gag-like barrier between me and its stinger. Now what was I going to do with it? I had captured this thing when I should have just killed it. But the same thing kept running through the back of my mind; knowledge is power.

When I returned to the hotel Dutch was stood at the side entrance, her chunky knit jumper pulled around her waist, she was shivering.  
“Where the hell have you been?!” She cried as she ran towards me. “Woah, what the…is that a Strigoi? Have you lost your fucking mind?!” She stopped in her tracks before backing away.  
I dragged the Strigoi as close to the door as possible, keeping a tight grip on the slip knot.  
“I needed some air. I brought you and Eph something to study” I said calmly. Her face was awash with shock.  
“Please help me get this thing inside, we can contain it in the vault. I’ve dragged it by myself for countless blocks and I’m fine, it’s practically a kitten” She raised an eyebrow at me and reluctantly helped me pull the Strigoi inside, slamming the door behind her. As we entered the foyer, I pushed open the door and was surprised to see everyone standing around looking concerned.  
“Jesus, Lana!” Said Fet “We thought you were Strigoi lunch, where the hell did you go?”  
“I went for a walk, I needed some air” I said casually, taking my coat off and throwing it on a couch.  
“You didn’t tell anyone where you were going. You know we don’t go out alone at any point now the city has seen higher Strigoi numbers” Setrakian scolded. I quickly glanced at Quinlan. He was wearing his coat, sword, sunglasses and hood. His shoulders were glistening with snow, like he’d also been out.  
“I’m sorry guys” I said  
“You should be, Quinlan was out for an hour looking for you” Said Fet. Quinlan took off his sunglasses and caught my eye.  
“He shouldn’t have bothered. I’m fine” I said sharply. I turned to Eph.  
“I brought you a gift, good doctor” I spun round and opened the foyer door, Dutch handed me the leash and I pulled the wounded Strigoi into the room to a chorus of gasps and swearing. Everyone scrambled and moved backwards, except Quinlan, who unsheathed his sword and held it at his side.  
“What have you done, Lana?” he asked. Ignoring him, I dragged the Strigoi to Eph.  
“We need to study them to learn about them. The more we know, the more of an advantage we have over them. We need to know how they communicate” I said, handing him the leash. “I thought we could keep her in the vault. She has a broken leg, so she’s not mobile. I think she’s been starving because her stinger is weak, it only protrudes slightly, so she’s not a massive threat provided we secure her well.”  
“Her…?” I heard Quinlan ask from behind me. I turned to face him.  
“Yes. Her. It was once a girl. A person. Probably around 12 years old by the look of her. Whether she wants to or not, she’s going to help us, so the least we can do is call her by her proper pronoun”. He said nothing.  
Eph watched the struggling Strigoi at his feet. It was rattling and growling but was obviously dying. “Ok!” he said “Fet, help me get her down to the vault so we can tie her up somehow.”  
“Lana, you did this all by yourself?” the professor asked.  
“Yes” I said “I’ve done something useful”. Feeling the need to leave, I took my coat from the couch and made for the lift. As the doors closed, Quinlan’s gloved hand shot through the doors, making them open again. He stepped in quietly and pressed the button for the tenth floor. We stood in silence while the lift passed each floor, the clunking and churning of the lift machinery sounding almost deafening in the quietness between us. I could feel the tension crawling over my skin. He turned to me and removed his hood and gloves as we reached our floor.  
“What you did was irresponsible. You could have died” he said quietly. The lift stopped at our floor and I walked ahead, clutching my leather coat to my chest. Choosing not to respond to him.  
“You also showed great courage. Bringing a specimen back here was smart” he called after me. As I reached my room, I paused to use my key card. Once again, he raced towards me at superhuman speed, so fast I could barely glimpse it. My hair blew about my face and all at once, I was being spun around and pushed into the door. Quinlan stood over me again, his hands on my shoulders. I sighed, rolled my eyes and realized I’d lost my temper. I pushed him away as hard as I could, throwing my jacket on the floor.  
“Fuck you! You don’t get to keep doing this to me. Fuck you!” I yelled “One minute you’re all ‘fond of me’ and the next you’re agreeing that my life wasn’t worth saving. You keep wooshing up to me like that, scaring the shit out of me with your wall punching and intense stares and snapping at me like I’m nothing in front of the only family I have left after I defended you. It’s not fair Quinlan, I’ve done nothing to deserve this. I thought you were a good man, you’re being an asshole and I don’t trust you”.  
He slowly lifted his head, looking down at me. My chest was rising and falling rapidly with anger and fear. I gripped my keycard so hard my hand was staring to hurt. I wondered if he was actually going to say anything and stayed there anxiously waiting.  
"You don’t trust me" He stated. Our eyes locked together.  
He gently placed his hands on my shoulders. What the hell was he doing? I felt fear rise through my stomach. He looked at me for a second before opening his mouth. His stinger emerged and un-furled like a deadly flower in front of me. I froze to the spot, my mind racing. It gradually got closer and closer until it was fully unraveled and millimeters in front of my face, it’s middle talon brushing my nose. Tears welled in my eyes, my breath kept catching in my throat and my heart hammered so hard in my chest I thought it might jump out and run away. I couldn’t move an inch. I was terrified. It gradually traced around the outline of my face, down to my left shoulder, across my breasts, down to my stomach and back up to my face  
It paused, allowing me to see it’s a dark purple center and a crackling sound emerged every time it moved. After what felt like forever, it retreated back into its cage in Quinlan’s chest. I remained rooted to the spot, a tear rolling down my cheek, unable to catch my breath. I couldn’t look at him so I found myself staring at the stripes in the wallpaper behind him.  
“Lana” He said quietly, lifting his hand and wiping the tear from my cheek with a thumb. “Strigoi have an insatiable and constant need to feed. It drives them, consumes them…” He drifted off momentarily while studying my face. “I possess the same thirst and the same need, but I have had the luxury of honing my self-control for many years. While it is not my intention to upset or frighten you, I hope I have just proved that I have no desire to hurt you”  
I couldn’t speak. My eyes dropped to the floor as I tried to process what had just happened. I had never been so close to a Strigoi stinger before, I don’t think I had ever been as afraid of anything in my life as I was just then. And yes, I understood why he had done it. I sniffed and was finally able to look up tearfully into his eyes.  
“While I would obviously prefer to feed on a very beautiful woman, I would choose the blood in the fridge downstairs over you”. He said, stepping away from me. “I apologize for the way I have treated you. You are a distraction for me. One that I am finding it increasingly difficult to ignore. I cannot afford to indulge in such a situation”  
He picked up my jacket and handed it to me, then left me with a polite nod and walked to his room. 

It had been several hours since my last encounter with Quinlan. I had tried to keep myself busy in a vain effort to divert my thoughts away from him. I had made dinner, did everyone’s laundry and decided to visit the Vault to see how our little Strigoi pet was doing. The hallway to my destination was dark and the lights were broken, the only one lit was at the end, it flickered like a dull flame. I knocked on the big steel door and waited a few moments until Eph dragged the door open.  
“Hey, Lana. Come to visit your friend?”  
“Aint no party like a Strigoi party” I smiled, gave him a wink and went inside. The vault was huge and it was currently being used as a research lab. There were test tubes and glass beakers everywhere along with a variety of complicated looking laboratory machines. Behind the heavy metal bars at the back of the room was the small Strigoi I had dragged in. The dog leash still in her mouth, she was now up and crouching on her haunches, snarling at me. Her leg had been bandaged and I noticed that her eyes seemed to have been damaged at some point as well. Something I’d put down to sunlight exposure when I’d found her.  
“It’s blind” Eph said, approaching the cage, raising his arm and leaning on the bars.  
“She” I corrected. “She’s blind”  
“Sorry, She. She has excellent hearing though and it’s like she can see, even though she really can’t, She seems to know exactly what’s going on”  
I studied the creature crouched in front of me, feeling a pang of sadness. This used to be a child. A little girl who had a family. Now she’d been turned into a parasite. I knelt on the floor in front of her. Her stinger attempted to exit her mouth but the wide, leather collar prevented it from being a problem. I couldn’t quite get over the irony of her clothing. A yellow sundress. Now stained, ripped and covered in blood, the small flower details around the neckline still slightly visible.  
“You patched her leg up” I stated.  
“Yeah” Eph replied. “We strapped her down to the table and splinted it. She’s healing pretty fast. Not that I’m encouraging you getting attached to this thing, but you found her, maybe you should name her”  
I looked at the creatures face, at her dark, bloodied eye sockets and her scarred skin. I slid my hand slowly across the floor towards her grey, dirty fingers. She was propped up by her arms, her hands flat on the floor, giving her an almost ape like stance. As I touched her small hand, she didn’t flinch, didn’t move an inch.  
“Fleur” I whispered. Her head snapped up as if she could see me. Low growling noises emanating from her chest and throat.  
“Fleur?” Eph queried  
“It’s French” I said “for Flower”  
Eph scoffed and put his hand on my shoulder “She’s hardly one of those, but Fleur it is”  
I stood and turned to face him “Is there some sort of caged mask we could make for her, so she doesn’t have to wear that dog collar in her mouth?”  
He thought for a second “Remember she’s here for research, she is dangerous and she will kill us if she gets out. But I’m sure Fet can come up with something, I’ll ask him” He opened a nearby desk drawer and rummaged around inside before pulling out a small bottle of bourbon. “Take a drink?”  
“No thanks, Eph. I’m heading back upstairs. Let me know if she turns out to be useful” I walked towards the exit and took one last glance back at Fleur. She was looking right at me, as much as she could anyway.  
As I closed the door behind me, I turned to see Quinlan stood directly in front of me, under the dim, flickering light. It illuminated his facial markings and his pale skin. He wore a tight black shirt, his domineering stance and muscular arms distracting me slightly.  
“She is a ‘feeler’, a blind child turned for her ability to see without eyes and hear better than any other Strigoi” He said plainly. “There are unfortunately a lot more of them out there.”  
I looked at the floor. Feeling awkward and anxious.  
“I named her Fleur” I mumbled.  
“French for Flower” He said. I looked up and half smiled. I realized I was playing nervously with my own hands. Dropping them back to my sides I sighed deeply and started forwards to pass him. As I passed, he caught my eye. I could see a slight hint of longing. Longing for what I wasn’t sure. He wanted to speak to me, I knew that much. I stopped walking and bit my lip.  
“I don’t know much about you, you’re secretive, mysterious and quite frustrating. You’re a strange man…but I suspect you’re a good man too.” I said. My statement caused an obvious reaction, his eyes flickered and his mouth opened slightly. He looked shocked. I could hear a low purr from his throat. I decided to leave and made my way to the door at the end of the hall. Being around him left me feeling confused and nervous. But he stirred something in me. Now I knew for sure that he did at least feel something for me, it had changed things. He was all I could think about, but I didn’t know why. What did I feel for him? Did it even matter? He’d made it clear that he was not here to form relationships or spend time romancing the housekeeper. 

In the Tenth Floor bar, I was alone. After a quick scavenger run with Dutch earlier in the day, I’d taken a nap, showered, spent some time curling my hair, changed my sheets and made everyone a meal. I’d decided that a drink wasn’t such a bad idea and had acquired myself a glass and was working my way through a bottle of peach schnapps. Not my usual choice, but supplies were running low on the alcohol front now Eph was back. I had picked up a couple of outdated magazines from the rack on the wall and was flicking through the glossy pages, admiring all the shiny, rich celebrities in their awards gowns and expensive jewelry. It was strange to think that most of the world no longer cared that a certain actress had a new TV show out or a rock musician had gone into rehab. There were now much more important things going on, and it was only getting worse. It was dark outside and I didn’t much care for looking at the darkness, I padded over to the large, ornate window and drew the heavy drapes, switching on another lamp on my way back to my seat to enable me to see my magazine better. Occasionally, my gaze drifted up to the large safe where Setrakian kept The Lumen. It was protected by a wall of ultra-violet lights and the safe boasted a heavy lock. I had not had the privilege of seeing any of its pages up close, although my curiosity was peaked when I’d seen The Professor and Quinlan pouring over its content.  
“Good evening” Quinlan’s voice from behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see him walking towards me. Now he was everywhere I looked. How the tables had turned.  
“Evening” I said, returning my focus to my drink and my magazine. Quinlan sat at the bar next to me, but didn’t look at me.  
We sat for a while, not speaking. I turned pages and poured myself another glass.  
“You changed your hair” Quinlan said. I still looked at the publication in front of me, studying an advert for teeth whitening.  
“Mmhmm”  
“I… like it” I heard him almost struggle to get the words out. Curious, I looked sideways at him.  
“Thank you” I replied. Still keeping him in my sight, I shifted my gaze slightly and studied the bottles left at the back of the bar. He shifted slightly in his seat, to enable him to see more of me. I could feel his eyes scanning my face.  
“I have not seen such beauty in a woman for a very long time” He said.  
The words hit me like a punch. My breath caught in my throat. No one had ever said anything like that to me in my life. I had no idea how to reply. I certainly did not consider myself to be anywhere near ‘beautiful’. I mean, I wouldn’t say I was ugly. I looked after myself, got regular exercise, my long black hair was in good condition and reached halfway down my back, my eyes bright blue, skin pale but I was just…regular looking by my own standards. Quinlan leaned slightly towards me.  
“I have made you uncomfortable” He said “I apologize”  
“I-I don’t know what to say” I admitted. “I mean, thank you. That’s kind of you” I struggled to look at him properly but I did notice the corner of his mouth curling into a half-smile. I felt like a shy schoolgirl all of a sudden. Not knowing where to look. My face begin to burn. “I’m not used to compliments. No one has ever said anything like that to me before”  
He looked confused and briefly rubbed his chin with this thumb and index finger.  
“No one has ever told you how beautiful you are?”  
“…No” My cheeks were two furnaces. My stomach fluttered. Butterflies.  
“Not even a previous companion?”  
“…No”  
“Then you have been associating with imbeciles”  
I laughed and bit my lip. Still not knowing what to say.  
“You are a strange creature” he whispered, his white eyes locked on mine.  
“Me? I am not strange!” I giggled  
“Are you aware that you have referred to me as a ‘man’ multiple times now? Once even after having experienced what it is like to be so close to a Strigoi Stinger?”  
I hesitated for a moment, and proceeded carefully “You are a man. You’re half human” I sipped my drink in an attempt to act casual.  
“Not human enough for some” He said, glancing over to the door for a second. Someone was approaching in the hallway. He leaned so close to me he was practically whispering in my ear. He spoke quickly but quietly…  
“My Strigoi half means I am a predator, a murderer, dangerous. I may not be much of a man…but you make me feel like one” He stood, his hand momentarily and unexpectedly brushing mine on the top of the bar. My skin prickled at his touch and I felt the butterflies in my stomach turn into bats. He seemed to flinch slightly and paused, before calmly leaving the room and passing Dutch in the doorway.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting steamy! ;)
> 
> Let me know what you like about things so far, so I know what direction to go in!

Dutch was carrying a box. A heavy box. I jumped up to help her as she entered the room, taking some of the weight on my side as we lowered it onto the table. She caught her breath and stretched her arms above her head before making her way to the bar. I watched as she picked up bottle after bottle, all empty.  
“…Drinks like a fish” I heard her mumble to herself. She grabbed the bottle of Schnapps I’d been working my way through and took a long swig of it. Her face screwed up and she gave me a disgusted look.  
“I used to steal stuff like this from my dad’s drink cabinet when I was 14. I’d tell them I was staying at Emma’s house. Then I’d go to the park and die from alcohol poisoning.” She said, examining the label. As she placed the bottle back on the bar, I approached her and sat back on my barstool. She was wearing a long sleeved, black sweater with sleeves that were way too long. Her black eyeliner starting to smudge after the day’s trials and tribulations. Her hair was swept back into a loose ponytail, the shorter bits at the sides had fallen out framing her face. She caught my eye.  
“What were you and Quinlan talking about?”  
Not wanting anyone to know about our little chat, I decided to claim innocence.  
“Nothing really. He’s not a big talker”  
She furrowed her brow and gave me a suspicious look. Pouring herself a glass of the peachy, sugary, crap, she slid the bottle across the bar to me so I could do the same. “It looked to me like he was whispering to you when I arrived”  
I let out a small laugh in an attempt to throw her off. “Don’t be stupid, he wasn’t saying anything to me. I was just…trying to educate him on the world of celebrities” I grinned, holding up my magazine for her to see. “What’s in the box?” a change of subject might do the trick.  
“More of Setrakian’s things from the pawnshop. A ton of silver stuff and some books.” She settled down on a stool and traced the pattern on the side of the bar with her finger. I wanted to tell her the truth more than anything, but I had a feeling she wouldn’t understand. Setrakian was the only person that seemed to be aware of what was unfolding between Quinlan and me and even he didn’t know what had happened in the last few hours. Besides, how would I even say it? I think Quinlan has a crush on me? I think I have a crush on him? Is that even true? Can this even happen anyway? There were too many questions that needed answering before I spoke to anyone else about it.  
“Lana?” Dutch snapped me out of my daydream.  
“Yeah?” I said, blinking.  
“What’s going on?” She asked. I felt a sting of nervousness. Had she been able to hear my thoughts?  
“Huh? With what?”  
“With you and Quinlan” She stated plainly. I looked down into my lap, worried that my facial expressions were giving the game away. “Nothing, we were just sat here, not speaking much”  
“I don’t just mean that” She said “I mean in general. I saw the hole in the wall next to your door. Chances are Fet didn’t do it, he’s always out or with me, Eph’s been here five minutes and is always drunk and I highly doubt Setrakian has a reason to try and knock the hotel down. I didn’t do it, so that leaves one person, Quinlan. He was frantic when you went off on your little adventure y’know. He paced the streets looking for you and then came back and shouted at us all for not doing more. Something is happening here. You are my friend, I need to know you’re ok.”  
I thought for a long time while staring at my lap. How was I even going to say this?  
“Honestly…I don’t know” I mumbled. I looked up at her concerned face, her bright eyes wise and probing mine for answers.  
“He just…he…he says he finds me distracting and then he got mad because I am everywhere he looks so he punched a hole in my wall and then he told me he thinks I’m beautiful…and…” Once I’d started, too much information seemed to flow out of my mouth and I couldn’t stop it “…and he said that he’s not much of a man but I make him feel like one. Oh, and he almost attacked me with his stinger, well he didn’t attack me but he kinda almost did and it was to show me I could trust him. I was…I was pretty damn terrified, so terrified I cried and almost peed my pants and now…now I don’t know what happening, I don’t know the answer to your question because when he called me beautiful I got butterflies, no, no-bats and I was all nervous and I don’t know, Dutch. I don’t know”. I stared at her like a 5 year old that had been coaxed into telling the truth about something bad she’d done. She sat there with a shocked expression on her face for a few moments.  
“He told you he thinks you’re beautiful?” She asked, a wicked smile spreading across her face.  
“Yeah” I felt my cheeks burn again. Dutch giggled.  
“Well, well, well. This is interesting! The half breed is into you!”  
I rolled my eyes and wrung my hands in my lap.  
“Are you-are you into him?!” She exclaimed. “You are, aren’t you?! That’s why you were so reluctant to tell me the truth!”  
“I don’t know!” I cried. She leaned towards me across the bar and grinned.  
“By the way I did hear the bit about the stinger. Better keep that one to yourself, Fet will kick his ass. Or, y’know, he’ll try. Anyway, This is kind of bizarre. Does he even have…equipment?”  
I picked up my magazine and threw it at her.

Later that evening, in my room, I was taking advantage of the luxurious furniture that filled my room. Along the main window, was a long, soft, velvet couch in light brown. Since there was no more streaming services, I’d plugged the CD player in earlier and had loaded one of my old compilation CD’s to play quietly in the background. The lyrics occasionally chiming through my mind. I stretched along the full length of it in my black, silk shorts and cami top, something I’d only worn once or twice, this time it was the only thing left, I’d done everyone else’s laundry and forgotten my own. My legs were exposed and I could feel the night drawing in, the temperature was dropping. While the darkness usually filled me with unease, I decided that at this moment I should confront it. I had put one single lamp on and watched the world outside as darkness enveloped New York. I thought about what Dutch had said to me. How did I feel about this situation? How did I feel about Quinlan? Every time he entered into my mind, my stomach fluttered.  
_“Soul mate dry your eye, ‘cause soul mates never die” ___  
I toyed with the idea that maybe I should just confront him and ask him outright what he’s thinking. The chances of me gaining another hole in the wall were slim after last time, I felt he was angered by his own lack of control. Then again, should I just ignore this whole thing? He’s got a right to express an opinion, maybe that’s all it was, he was being nice, right?  
_“Damn the government, damn their killing, damn their lies” ___  
I lay back and ran my fingers through my hair, gently pulling at any tangles. A loud knock on the door quickly brought me out of my slumber.  
“Lana” A muffled voice from outside the door  
“Yeah?” I called back.  
“What the hell is this god dammed hole in the wall?” It was Fet.  
“I’m re-modelling” I said, getting up from the couch.  
“Badly” he jested. I reached the door and opened it a crack so I could see him. I blinked in the hallways harsh light.  
“Dutch made pizza. We’re all in the bar if you want some?” He asked.  
“Dutch cooked?” I laughed.  
“Well, she tried. C’mon, it’s not often we all get to relax. And with the end being nigh we may as well at least try Dutch’s cooking”  
I nodded and said I’d be there in a few minutes.  
Scanning the room for a second, I decided to just grab a cream colored fleece blanket from the closet and wander down to the bar as I was. 

_____ _

The smell of grilled cheese and pepperoni wafted down the hallway as I left my room. Pulling the door shut, I draped my blanket over my shoulders and started towards the bar. The door to the room next to me opened and Quinlan stepped out in front of me. Stopping in his tracks as he saw me. He wore another long sleeved, tight fitting shirt with a waistcoat. He always seemed to have the same kind of clothes on. I wondered how many of those shirts he actually owned. I slowed to a halt and waited a few feet from him. He was staring at me, his eyes moved down my body and up again and settled on my face. He still did not move an inch.  
“Hi” I said quietly, smiling at him. Finally, he closed his room door and turned to face me.  
“Hello” He replied.  
“Are you going to Pizza night?” I said, like a child off to a Birthday Party. “Didn’t think it would be your kind of thing”  
“It is not.” He said bluntly.  
“Oh…” I trailed off.  
“I am making my way to the Kitchen for dinner” He said, slowly walking past me. I let him go. Glancing back at him a couple of times before he vanished into the elevator.  
In the bar everyone was stuffing their faces with what was probably the biggest pizza I had ever seen in my life. I gasped and looked over at Dutch, who was spread out on the sofa, her legs draped over Fets.  
“That is the biggest pizza I’ve ever seen! How did you even fit that in the oven?”  
“Cooked it in sections, then put it together. I’m a fuckin’ genius!” She giggled.  
The Professor was at his big table, examining a piece of Dutch’s expertly made pizza. A Look of confusion on his face. Eph was at the bar, licking his fingers before picking up yet another bottle and pouring himself a drink.  
“Why not just make a few smaller ones?” I asked Dutch. She glared at me.  
“Let me have my moment, OK?” She said  
“Oh, Ok. Sure. It’s amazing, you’re a genius”  
She winked at me.  
I picked up a plate, picked a slice and started to wander back to my room.  
“Wait, where are you going?” Dutch called after me.  
“I’m tried, I’m just going to head back to my room” I half smiled at her. For some reason, I just didn’t feel like socializing much. Perhaps it was because my head was full of nothing but Quinlan. What had he done to me? I was usually such a level headed and direct person. I enjoyed the simple things in life, reading, and writing, that feeling when you’ve had a hard day and finally get to crawl into bed. Now, everything was so damn complicated. Pulling my blanket around myself and steadying my plate on my hand I smiled at everyone. “Have a good night, guys”.  
Shuffling back to my room was awkward with such a big slice of pizza on such a small plate, needless to say using my key card was even more difficult. Eventually, realizing I didn’t have enough hands, I dropped my blanket, swiped my card and went inside, putting my pizza on the desk. The quiet hum of music still filled my room. I went back to retrieve the blanket from the floor. A noise in the hallway caught my attention. The ‘ping’ of the elevator. Quinlan emerged and noticed me immediately. He walked causally towards me.  
“I thought you’d be with the others” He said.  
I folded my blanket over my arm. All too aware that his eyes were roaming the bare flesh of my shoulders and chest.  
“I’m not really in a sociable mood.” I answered. “I’m just going to eat in here and watch the world burn” I smiled thinly at him. His eyes had moved back to my face.  
“Enjoy your night” He said, turning and slowly walking to his room.  
“Quinlan” I blurted out. What was I doing?! He stopped and looked over his shoulder.  
“Do you-do you want to join me?” The words had left my mouth before I’d had a chance to think about what I was actually saying. He didn’t move.  
“You said you’re not in a sociable mood”  
“Well…I can make an exception, for you” Really…what was I doing?! What exactly did I intend to do with him in my room? “You really don’t have t-“  
“That would be nice” He said, making his way towards me. Oh. Shit. 

In my room Quinlan slowly paced around, scanning my belongings. I watched him curiously pick things up and tilt his head. I quickly rushed to the CD player and switched it off. He looked up at me from a stack of books on the desk.  
“Please, leave it on if you like” He said. I flipped the switch again, but lowered the volume even more.  
_“Fall into you, is all I ever do, when I hit the bottle, because I’m afraid to be alone” ___  
He picked up a book and smiled momentarily at its cover.  
“I have read this” He stated, looking at me and holding the book up. The Collector by John Fowles.  
“You have?” I said, surprised. I retrieved my pizza and sat on the arm of the couch.  
He thought for a moment.  
“I enjoy literature. This one, English, from the 1960’s was a little unusual for me. But I liked the concept. Although the kidnapper is portrayed as being unhinged, I think it says a lot about human desire in general.” He said, running his finger over the back cover of the book. I tore off a piece of pizza and shoved it in my mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly so I could continue our conversation.  
“How so?” I asked. He looked up at me.  
“It explores a lot. Fear, loneliness, abandonment, beauty, desperation, the power of obsession and how far away from reality it can drive a man.”  
I raised my eyebrows. “I just thought he was crazy”  
A small laugh from him. I had never seen that before. He placed the book back on the pile and continued to work his way around the room, looking at everything. I was chewing another piece of pizza when I noticed a bra hanging on the closet door handle. Quinlan had his back turned to me, he was flicking through notes and drawings I’d done. I panicked and shot over to the closet like a bat out of hell. Snatching the underwear off the handle I dropped it to the floor and kicked it under the bed. I felt like a naughty school girl that had let a boy in her room and was desperately trying to impress him.  
_“The only thing you can rely on, is that you can’t rely on anything” ___  
He sat on the edge of my bed, paper in his hands.  
“You draw, and write” he observed. I became nervous.  
“Yeah, uh…I’m not very good. It’s just a hobby. I write as a release. It calms me.”  
“You are creative. Talented. Yet you play down your talent as nothing” My face started to flush with heat.  
I sat on the bed next to him and took a drawing he was holding. A detailed blue butterfly with the ghost of a woman’s face in the middle.  
“This was what I drew while I was reading The Collector. It’s my favourite” I studied the drawing in my hand and let it fall to the floor when I felt Quinlan brush my hair away from my face and over my shoulder. His hand lightly brushing my skin, tracing the strap of my top at the back of my shoulder and sending prickly, electric waves down my body. I closed my eyes and waited for the feeling to pass. My mind raced. His touch had caused me to sigh deeply, almost in pleasure. As the air left my lungs with a small, almost inaudible moan, I knew I needed to address what was happening here.  
“What are you doing?” I whispered into my lap. No answer. I slowly opened my eyes and looked to my side. He was staring at me with an intense look that set my soul on fire..  
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I probed. Clicking and subtle growling broke the silence between us before he finally spoke.  
“You are exquisite” he said softly, he gently brushed my cheek with the back of his fingers. More shockwaves, I could feel my fingertips and my toes tingling. My heart was thumping. I suddenly realized, I was enjoying this.  
“What is this, Quinlan? What is going on?” I asked. “Time to lay our cards on the table. No more messing about and playing guessing games”  
A few seconds passed before he answered me.  
“Beauty and love are both fleeting, but powerful. I’ve known both. I’ve lost both. I am reluctant to embark on something which will result in you getting hurt”  
I swallowed and decided to bite the bullet.  
“I’ve…I’ve got these…feelings for you and I don’t know what it is or if it even matters but what I do know, is that they won’t go away. It’s getting stronger every day and it’s driving me crazy”  
I felt his hand move into mine, entwining our fingers together. His skin was warm and soft. I looked down at what was the first, big, open, unabashed, honest, physical gesture of affection he’d shown me. This was more than a light touch, this was crossing the line and It filled me with longing.  
“I feel it too” He said “But this cannot happen. You will get hurt” His hand still in mine, gently squeezing. “The Master has killed everyone I have ever loved. Even if he doesn’t kill you, I will die when I kill him. So you see, this can only ever be temporary and that is not good enough for you. I am not good for you”  
“Let me be the judge of that” I cut in. He gave me small smile.  
“You are stronger, braver, and smarter than you give yourself credit for”. I took my hand from his, excused myself and went to the bathroom.  
_“Because I want you too, because I want you” ___  
In front of the big, ornate mirror, leaning on my hands on the edge of the sink, I studied my own face. I couldn’t see a way out of this. I had finally realized what I had been ignoring for a while. I cared about him. I wanted him and I now knew that he wanted me too. There was no easy answer to this and I started to wonder if it was wise to even spend any more time with him. Maybe we were better off being away from each other. Quinlan emerged in the open doorway and slowly walked into the room, standing behind me and looking up into the mirror at our reflections. His big frame dwarfing me, his contrasting pale, almost white skin standing out even more obviously than I had ever noticed before. Especially when in the mirror, I watched as he placed his hands on the black fabric that covered my hips and gently pulled himself towards me. Lowering his head, he nuzzled my neck, smelling my hair and breathing me in. I watched him in the mirror, rooted to the spot. His quiet growling intensifying slightly. His hands felt warm through the satin material of my shorts as he applied slight pressure to tell me that he didn’t want me to move. I could hear the sound of his breathing in my ear. His lips brushed my skin but he did not kiss me, he didn’t need to. I knew in that moment that the precipice we’d both been clinging to was no more. We had both jumped, delved into the unknown below. Neither of us knew what would happen from here, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the here and now. He touched me without hesitation, with confidence, with urgency but respect. I knew I’d become addicted. I knew that there wasn’t anyone else that I would want to touch me like this again.  
_“Without you, I’m nothing” ___


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it's a slow burn.  
> Yeah OK, They like each other, but who's to say it'll even happen? ;)

That night, Quinlan had suddenly left without a word. I remained at the mirror, studying my own face. I didn’t sleep much when I eventually crawled into bed, when I did sleep, it was broken, useless sleep. I kept replaying the events of that night in my head. The way he spoke to me, the way he touched me, the feel of his lips lightly brushing my neck, the warmth of his hands on my hips. I couldn’t push away the urge to over-analyze everything I’d said, how I’d said it, why I’d said it. I wanted him to want me and I’d now realized he did, although he’d never actually said it. That wasn’t an act on his part. But did he want the person I was trying to be, instead of the person I really am? For years, I had put up barriers and spent so long trying to be the person I thought everyone else wanted me to be. He’d said he wasn’t good for me, in case I got hurt. But I knew I wasn’t good enough for him. I was too complicated.  
In the morning, I heard Setrakian thumping along the hallway with his cane.  
“Mr Fet!”  
I got out of bed, pulled my blanket around me and opened the door as he rumbled towards me.  
“Mr Fet! Dutch!”  
“Professor?” I said. He was carrying a bag full of guns. In one hand was his cane, in the other, a grenade.  
“Lana! The book is gone!” He was panicked, anxious, and angry. “The book is gone! It’s been stolen! Mr FET?!” He yelled  
A door opened down the hall and Fet wandered out wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, scratching his head and blinking.  
“Its 5am Professor, what the hell?”  
“The Book has been stolen!” The professor cried. “The UV lights are off and the safe is open!”  
Fet’s mouth fell open. “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted him” he growled.  
“If that half breed has cost me my one chance of defeating the Master I know where I’ll be shoving this silver grenade!” Setrakian declared.  
I stood in silence.  
“Professor, I slipped a tracking device into the cover of the book. Just in case…well just in case a half breed muncher decided to play hide and go seek with it.”  
Setrakian’s face lit up.  
“Who’s your favorite exterminator?” Fet grinned.  
“Get dressed Mr. Fet! We’re going after that book! Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes”  
The professor bundled past me and into the elevator. I stood in my doorway in shock. Could Quinlan really have taken the Lumen? Why would he do that? Was everything a lie?  
I decided to get dressed and go down to the lobby to see the professor and Fet off. I shut the door and quickly changed into some jeans and a t-shirt before racing down the Hall to the elevator. 

When I arrived, I noticed Dutch looking concerned. She ran to me as I exited the elevator.  
“Eph is gone too” she said.  
“Do you think he had something to do with this?” I asked  
“It’s possible, I heard Eph telling Setrakian that the Master has Zach a few days ago. Since then he’s been asking a lot of questions about the Lumen”  
I sighed and looked over at Fet and The professor who were putting their coats on, ready to leave. I returned my attention to Dutch. “You think he’s using the Lumen to get Zach Back? What does Quinlan have to do with that?”  
“C’mon, Lana. You know Quinlan will try anything to get the Master to reveal himself” She said. She was right, this was the most feasible explanation. My heart sank. Was this it? Was last night going to be the last time I ever saw Quinlan?  
Dutch turned and ran to the two men “Wait, I’m coming with you, I’ll drive” She said, throwing a coat on and pulling a hat over her blonde hair. I watched hopelessly as they all left in a hurry. 

It was hours before anyone returned. It was after dark and I had been pacing about like a loose end all day. I’d cleaned everything in a desperate attempt to distract myself. The bar hadn’t been this clean since before we moved in. I was laid on one of the foyer sofas when Fet, Eph and Setrakian and Dutch came crashing through the side door.  
“Get the Kitchen door!” Yelled Fet. I jumped up, ran over to the doors, hitched them open and spun around to see them carrying a lifeless Quinlan. My heart almost stopped.  
“Oh my god” I croaked. Before I could get a good look at him, the others bundled him into the room. I stared at the double doors in disbelief. Was he dead? He couldn’t be dead. He’s The Born. If he was dead, did that mean The Master was too?  
In the kitchen, they slapped his body on the biggest metal surface and began removing his clothes. Eph was preparing tweezers and suture equipment while I stood in the doorway.  
“Is he…is he dead? Will someone tell me what happened?” I said. No answer. I felt a hand on my shoulder.  
“He was shot, multiple times” Said Dutch sympathetically. She stepped closer to me and leaned in “he cut off the master’s head, Lana. It was incredible!”  
My heart sank, my knees went weak. Tears welled in my eyes.  
“I thought…when the master dies…” I sniffed.  
“I know, but he seems to still be alive” Dutch reassured me. “He took at least ten bullets and still had the strength to decapitate that asshole. You should have seen it, it was quite something”  
“What if he’s not alive” I said “what if he’s dead and…” I trailed off.  
She studied me for a moment. “You’re really into him, aren’t you?” She asked.  
I just looked at her, hoping I could communicate the answer without having to actually say it. She put her arm around my shoulder and gave me a gentle squeeze.  
“He’s healing at a stupidly fast rate. This is like nothing I’ve ever seen before” Eph said, turning to look at everyone “You all need to leave so I can work on him, I’ll update you later” I could see a flicker of confusion across his face that I looked so worried.  
Fet and the Professor left the room carrying Quinlan’s Weapons and coat. Dutch hurried me out and into the elevator.

 

I sat in the Tenth Floor Bar staring into a glass of vodka while Dutch sat quietly beside me, tapping away on her laptop. It had been four hours since Quinlan had been brought in and thrown onto that kitchen counter top. I had paced the room multiple times and ignored many a question from Dutch. She’d made me multiple drinks and I’d refused them all unless they were alcoholic. Anxiety gnawed at me, scratching from the inside and only intensified with every hour. Eventually,  
Eph appeared and quietly walked into the room. I shot up from my seat and waited expectantly. Dutch turned on her bar stool to face him.  
“You took the Lumen?” she asked him.  
“I did it for Zach” He said  
“This was not the right way, Eph” She scolded “You were dishonest and acted with haste, and the professor probably wants to kill you”  
“I know” He sighed. “Quinlan…he said the Master would reveal himself for the book and then he’d kill him. It seemed like a win-win situation” He said, rubbing his forehead.  
“How is Quinlan?” I interrupted.  
Eph hesitated for a moment “He’s OK. He’s sleeping right now. He heals fast. He decapitated the Master, surely that’s a good thing? We were both responsible for that happening. Although, I’m still left with absolutely nothing”  
Ignoring his plea for a ‘well done’, I started for the door, keeping my pace steady and being careful not to alert Eph as to how anxious I was to see Quinlan. Once I was out of their sight, I sprinted to the elevator. 

When the lift pinged, I stumbled out to Fet standing in front of me.  
“The thieving Strigoi is going to live. But not for long. The professor is about ready to stick him with his sword”  
“Fet, Eph just told me that because the Master has Zach, the book was used as a trade. Quinlan must have known it was as good a shot as any to take him out”  
He didn’t say anything. He just nodded and looked at me. Squeezing my shoulder as we traded places. I watched as the elevator doors closed before heading to the Kitchen. 

As I peered through the window on the kitchen door, I was relieved to see Quinlan’s chest rising and falling as he breathed. He was alive. I quietly pushed the door open and stood next to the table. He looked peaceful, but the harsh bullet holes in his chest added to his already established collection of scars. He was completely naked apart from a strip of toweling that was placed across his middle. His rippled, firm abdomen was distracting. I had not seen this much of him before, he was quite something. I eventually returned my gaze to his face. He stirred and slowly opened his eyes to look at the ceiling.  
“Am I in hell?” He croaked.  
“Purgatory at best” I replied. He slowly turned his head to look at me. “I’m pretty sure Setrakian is going to shove a silver grenade up your ass next time he sees you and Fet is back to calling you names, so you may wish you were in hell” I smiled at him.  
He lifted his arm from his side.  
“Give me your hand” I complied and placed my hand in his. For a few moments we remained hand in hand, looking at one another. Quinlan affectionately brushing the back of my hand with his thumb.  
“My weapons?” He asked.  
“Don’t worry about that, we have them”  
I ripped my hand from his when I heard Setrakian slam the doors open. Quinlan sat up as quickly as he could.  
“You stole the Lumen!” He exclaimed, his silver sword unsheathed from his cane. “You betrayed us! You’re a thief!” he pointed his sword at Quinlan. I moved to stand in between them, staring at the business end of the professor’s extremely sharp sword.  
“Professor…” I started  
“Get out of the way, Lana” The professor ordered.  
“You would be wise to stop pointing that weapon at her.” Quinlan cut in  
“I’m pointing it at you!” Setrakian yelled. I stayed put.  
“Regardless of if it’s meant for me or her, even in my current state I am capable of tearing you in half in a split second. Now, lower your weapon and tell me, what is the state of the city?”  
Setrakian admitted defeat, sheathed his sword and slumped against a nearby shelving unit. I breathed a sigh of relief.  
“The Strigoi are…wandering…rudderless.”  
Quinlan looked thoughtful.  
“You are still alive. You said when the master died, you die. Could this be incorrect?” Setrakian asked  
“One only has one chance to prove such a theory”.  
“There is only one place we can go to find out. Once you are back on your feet, we must visit the Ancients”  
Setrakian stood and promptly left the room. I turned to Quinlan, who was sat on the cold, metal surface looking at me. I allowed myself to admire his muscular frame, his collection of scars, the Strigoi markings that twisted and turned across his body. I admitted to myself that I did, in fact, have a huge crush on him. He placed his hand over mine on the tabletop next to him.  
“You’re kind of hot when you get aggressive and demanding” I blurted out. I’d surprised myself with this one. It seemed to come out of nowhere. What the hell? I fought the urge to clamp my hand over my mouth in shock. I was not usually the type of person to be so forward. He slowly turned his head to look at me. I could hear his stinger rattling quietly in his chest. He leaned towards me and looked me in the eyes.  
“Is that so? Would you like me to be aggressive and demanding with you?” He asked, his expression changing to a smirk. I laughed bashfully and felt my face start to burn.  
“You are embarrassed” He stated. My eyes darting everywhere but at him, willing my face to return to its normal color. My hand underneath his became sweaty. His tightened his grip on it.  
“You are even more enchanting to me when you are embarrassed.” He whispered. I smiled at him and looked down and his hand on top of mine. I hoped he wasn’t going to make a habit of making me go red. Although this time it was my own fault.  
“I should go and get your clothes.” I said. “You can’t be wandering around the hotel in nothing but that towel” I took my hand from under his and went to turn to exit the room. He grabbed my wrist before I could leave and pulled me to him, his legs either side of me. I was close enough to him to feel the warmth from his body, my stomach started fluttering. My sides tingled from the contact with his thighs and my breath caught in my throat.  
“If you don’t like my attire, perhaps you should remove it” He flirted. I rolled my eyes and grinned at him, shaking my head.  
“You’re doing it deliberately now. Stop it” I laughed. As bashful as I felt, I couldn’t help but wonder what he had under that towel. Those damn bats were back. He let go of my wrist and moved his hand to my face, brushing my cheek with the same gentle touch as before.  
“When the bullets hit me…I was unable to think of much other than killing the Master… but I did think of you” He spoke quietly and moved his hands to mine again, holding them at my sides. “Why did I think of you?”  
I’d hoped this was a rhetorical question, as I had no answer to offer him. His white eyes bore into my soul and I felt an unbelievable urge to kiss him. I resisted. Instead, I gently rested my forehead on his and placed my hands on his chest. I could feel his breathing and the light vibrations of his stinger, reacting to my touch. Everything in me told me to explore the rest of him, feel every part of him. But my self-control was encouraged by the fact that I felt slightly insecure. How could I please a man like him? How could I be good enough?  
I felt him pull me closer still, one arm crept around my waist while the other made its way up and over my chest to the nape of my neck, his fingers settling lightly on my skin. I closed my eyes and spread my fingers out on his chest. His skin was soft in between scars. I felt him move his head up slightly, our lips were millimeters apart and I could feel the invisible electricity forming between us. My skin prickled and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.  
A loud thump on the door startled us and I spun around to face the door. I could see Dutch at the window. She pushed the door open, a worried look on her face.  
“Sorry-I’m sorry. But Setrakian and Fet are on their way down here. I just um…thought I should warn you both”. I felt a pang of affection for her. She had become my best friend and now she would have to swear to keep the huge secret of what she had witnessed.  
“Good to see you’re awake” She said to Quinlan. He nodded politely at her and she hurriedly left us alone again.  
I turned back to Quinlan. “I’ll get your clothes”. 

Later, I had decided to spend some time away from Quinlan so I could think without a ton of endorphins and lust running through my veins. I was with Eph and Dutch in the Vault. They had Fleur out and strapped to a table next to another specimen they’d captured during their meeting with the master. This one was male, and Dutch had named him Marley. The air in the vault was thick and heavy with the smell of ammonia and blood. The Strigoi had to be fed to be kept alive and they were not exactly the cleanest eaters. Dutch was sat at a table between the two writhing prisoners, headphones on and typing away on her laptop, occasionally hiking up her heavy knit black sweater over her shoulders. Eph was dissecting a Strigoi brain on the other side of the room. I didn’t ask questions about how he had acquired it, in fact, I didn’t even want to look at it. I kept myself busy by cleaning the various tubes and beakers they used for experiments. I sat on a low, well used couch in the corner, away from the Strigoi but still close enough to see the look on Fleur’s face. A vacant, hungry stare.  
“Dutch” Eph said. I looked over at him, he was staring at the table in front of him. Dutch couldn’t hear him.  
“Dutch?” He said, louder. I threw a cloth at her. It hit her on the side of the head. She spun around and pushed her headphones off, raising an eyebrow at me. I motioned towards Eph and pulled another cloth out of the pack to continue cleaning. She rose from her seat and met Eph at his table. There was murmuring and a few disgusted looks from Dutch.  
“aaaaannndd I’m never eating noodles again” Dutch said as she wandered back to her seat. She picked up a mug on her way back and paused to look inside it. She turned and pulled open the microwave, placed her mug inside and a few beeps were followed by a low, humming noise.  
“Woah” Eph said. We both stopped and looked at him.  
“What?” I asked. He stared at the mass of Strigoi remains in his hands. “What the hell?”  
Dutch switched the microwave off.  
“Wait! Switch it back on!” Eph cried. Dutch pressed the button again.  
“Dutch, come here. What do you think it is that they're reacting to? Do you think microwaves are escaping?”  
Dutch peered over the table into the heaving mass. I could just about see what looked like a ball of worms from my position in the room.  
“Not if you trust government safety regulations” Dutch quipped.  
“Microwaves are definitely escaping. And the worms are somehow responding to it. It's like they've woken up.” Eph looked up at Dutch with excitement. “This could be something”  
As the microwave continued to heat Dutch’s forgotten coffee, I watched as Fleur seemed to scan the ceiling, although she couldn’t see, it was like she was looking for something. Marley’s eyes darted around the room, he looked confused and frantic. Both of the Strigoi had become more active, but at the same time had fallen quiet.  
I was fascinated by what I was seeing. Eph was clearly excited and started rummaging around the room while Dutch had removed her coffee from the microwave and started picking up screwdrivers and examining the ends. Knowing things were getting technical and they’d need their space, I gathered my sparkling clean glass containers and placed them on a shelf.  
“I’ll leave you guys to it” I said, nearing the door “Good Luck”  
“Lana, wait” Dutch said, hurrying me out of the door and gently closing it behind her. She stood and said nothing for a moment before blurting out “Did I see you kissing Quinlan earlier?”  
My eyebrows shot up at the directness of her question. Although I couldn’t say I wasn’t expecting it “No. There was no kissing” I stated plainly. She leaned her back on the door and sighed at me. “There wasn’t!” I affirmed.  
“Then what did I see?!” She probed.  
“It was kind of a…touchy feely hug” I nodded at her, as if trying to convince myself too.  
“You care about him” She said. I couldn’t lie to her. I paused before answering.  
“Yes, I do”  
“Look…he’s survived so far. But he may not be around forever now. Just...be careful OK? I don’t want you to get hurt”  
“I know you’re looking out for me, but I’m OK. Thanks for the warning earlier too. Please don’t tell any of the others”  
She smiled at me, and turned to open the door. Looking over her shoulder at me she winked “Secrets safe with me. See you later”

As I neared my room on the tenth floor, I noticed the hole beside my door had been patched up with a wooden board. I paused briefly to examine it and figured Fet must have done it for me. Carrying on down the hall to the bar, I observed Fet, Setrakian and Quinlan looking over some kind of paperwork.  
“Of course, this would be easier to decipher if we were looking at the real thing” I heard Quinlan say.  
“If you think I’d let you near that book again you are very mistaken!” Setrakian snapped. Then it made sense, The professor had photocopied all the pages of the Lumen and was now keeping it well away from everyone.  
Fet was standing in the middle of the room, arms folded, glaring at Quinlan, who was seated on the couch. Setrakian was at his big table as usual. I quietly walked in and approached our rat catcher.  
“Hey, did you fix the wall at the side of my door?” I asked. I noticed his expression change.  
“As much as I’d like to play the helpful handyman…no I didn’t” He was confused.  
I tried changing the subject. Now knowing exactly who had fixed it.  
“Eph and Dutch may have found something in the vault. Apparently microwaves affect the Strigoi brain. It had an effect on Fleur and Marley. Eph and Dutch are both crashing around down there dismantling the microwave.”  
Quinlan looked up at me. Fet turned to the professor “Wanna check this out, professor?”  
Setrakian immediately stood up, grabbed his cane and walked out of the room with Fet following. Quinlan remained in his seat, staring at me.  
“You not going too?” I asked.  
“I will, once a more impressive result is produced” He dropped the papers in his hand. I was sure his tendency to such blunt comments were not meant to offend, but simply to get to the point.  
“How are you feeling?” I asked, the memory of the bullet holes in his chest flashing before my eyes.  
“Good, Thank you. I recover quickly” he clasped his hands together. “I will depart soon to see the Ancients. We need confirmation that The Master is dead”  
I nodded in agreement. “Thank you for fixing my wall” I said. “I know it was you”  
He looked up at me from his spot on the couch. I watched as he slowly stood up and stepped around the table in front of the couch. Stopping a few feet away from me.  
“I must explain something to you. I am convinced that different people awaken different beasts in us. I say ‘us’ in reference to myself because what I did was an entirely beastly reaction to an entirely human feeling. I reacted violently because I was angry at myself for wanting you and that is not the reason I am here. I fixed your wall because I was righting my wrong”.  
I quickly glanced around the room and listened, making sure no one was approaching the bar from the hallway.  
“Do you still…want me?” I asked. “It’s just, you’ve never actually said –“  
“I want you. You know I do” He interrupted. “But it is not that simple.”  
I nodded again. Feeling the flutter in my stomach again. Pleased by what I’d heard, yet feeling completely torn apart at the same time.  
“What if it’s not true?” I said “What if, you’ve done what you were destined to do, you killed the master and saved the world. But what if you get to live now? Setrakian told me you’re meant to be immortal. Maybe you are. What will you do if this is it?”  
He looked thoughtful and took a while to respond.  
“It’s not something I have thought about. I had prepared for the less desirable alternative”  
“Maybe the magic book is wrong. Not that it would make...this any less complicated.” I sighed deeply and walked towards him, stopping close enough that it meant I had to look up slightly. I placed my hands on his forearms at his sides.  
“They say it takes 21 days to break a habit, but it’s been about 200 days and you’re still the only thought on my mind. I mean, what kind of goddamn habit is this?!” I noticed him stir in an attempt to speak  
“No, wait. Let me say this, there’s a long, unrehearsed and undoubtedly horrendously embarrassing speech coming and I’m good at them. You are remarkable. You are strong. You are fearless. You are intelligent. You are heroic. You are aware of how important you are, yet you remain humble. Even with your Strigoi half, you are something better than human. You look…well, let’s not fuck about here, you’re an Adonis. I mean, those abs. I could wash my clothes on them. But I won’t, we have perfectly good washer-dryers downstairs. Anyway, you’ve had two thousand years to figure out who you are and why you were placed on this earth and your focus and determination has been unwavering, until recently. Until I come along with my…my…”  
“Beautiful blue eyes?” He smiled.  
“Stop it. I was going to say terrible, revealing speeches and penchant for dangerous men. Look, I’m annoying and needy, I get myself into dumb situations and I probably have what’s considered to be bordering on an alcohol problem. I don’t know, I’ll have to ask Eph.”  
“What are you doing, Lana?” He asked  
“Shh, shh” I hushed, tugging on his arms slightly.  
“I’m a crappy kisser and I eat too much cheese. I bite my nails and I’m emotionally damaged, I cry at literally everything and I can be extremely guarded. Apparently I talk in my sleep and it’s NOT in English. Once, when I was 12, I stole a candy bar from a store and I never told anyone since because I’m a dirty thief that should go to jail. I don’t know how to respond to compliments because I’ve not received many. I am reasonably inexperienced at both love and sex, the only men I’ve trusted were the kind that aren’t worthy of anyone’s trust. I have big thighs that I hate, my ass is nowhere near as toned as it should be for all the squats I do and I doubt myself all the time. I am not as confident as I make out and quite frankly. I’m a handful.  
“Lana…” Another attempt to stop the verbal flood that was escaping my mouth. His left hand slipped from my grip and I felt him place it on the side of my face, only to be sent straight back down to his side once I’d re-established my hold on him.  
“Quinlan, no. Let me finish. See, I’ve been sending my representative to meet you since the day you saved my life. She’s just like me but much more together and reliable. But now she’s taken a leave of absence and here I am, exposed and panicked and you said to me…you said you weren’t good for me…and I said I should be the judge of that, and so I am. I’m not sure I’d ever be good enough for you anyway. You deserve someone who knows their worth, who knows themselves and knows you.” I stood slightly higher on my toes and kissed him lightly and quickly on the cheek. He didn’t move an inch. I looked down at the floor, trying to find something else to say but coming up with nothing. Why did I always feel the need to get as much information out in the open as possible when I felt control slipping away from me? I’d only wanted to be honest but it had resulted in what seemed like a break up before anything had even begun. I left the room with haste, stopping only at my door to swipe my key card. Feeling like an absolute fucking idiot.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments so far, it's been spurring me on to get my head down and carry on writing. I actually had the first few Chapters already written. Now I'm having to write as I'm going along, so bare with me! Keep the comments coming, as long as I know people are enjoying it, I'll keep writing. I re-read my stuff over and over so hopefully any mistakes will be picked up. I just wanted to get this Chapter posted.  
> Now, let's see...will they, won't they?

Quinlan had been missing for almost five days. The professor was fretting and even Fet had admitted that without him, our cause would be even more difficult. On more than one occasion, we had to stop the professor from going out to see the ancients. Without the Masters control over the Strigoi, they roamed the streets in a feeding frenzy that was even worse than before. The police had abandoned their posts and left. It became too dangerous for any of us to leave the confines of the hotel at night, unless it was an emergency. Even living on the tenth floor, we could hear the desperate screams of people below, running for their lives. The plague seemingly still growing stronger. One night, we all sat on the roof and watched what appeared to be a massive bomb blast swallow up a huge chunk of the city. Buildings collapsed in unison as if they were made from wax and were melting into the earth, the dust and debris filled the air and left a heavy, yellowy-brown cloud. The noise rumbled through the city, vibrating the floor and shaking the chandeliers in the lobby. It was decided among us all to wait for Quinlan’s return. Although by day four, we were all starting to wonder if he would return at all.  
On the Morning of the fifth day, we were gathered in the bar around Setrakian’s big table, trying to come up with a plan that was still feasible, even if Quinlan was never seen again. The mood was somber and I had been extremely quiet for days. I simply had nothing to say and my mind was crowded with thoughts of Quinlan, and if I were to never see him again. I could not contribute to the conversation much, so chose to sit on the sidelines and speak when spoken to.  
Dutch picked nervously at the rips in her blue jeans, I would see her look up from time to time, checking in on me. Things between Eph and Fet had been a little strained since he’d stolen the Lumen with Quinlan. Fet believed we could no longer trust him and brought it up at every chance he got. The two of them were in the middle of a heated argument which Setrakian was growing more and more annoyed with. I sat cross legged on the couch, swirling my coffee around in its mug, mesmerized by the movement while everyone around me started to yell at one another. From the corner of my eye, a figure walked into the doorway. As I lifted my gaze, I felt the weight of the world lift from my shoulders as I recognized the figure before me. I stood slowly, the shouting around me intensifying. Something in me snapped.  
“SHUT UP!” I screamed. The room quickly fell silent followed by gasps. My eyes never left him. Quinlan was stood in the doorway. His clothes dusty, his face covered in black marks and dirt, his eyes locked with mine.  
“Quinlan” I whispered.  
“What the hell happened to you?” Fet asked. Quinlan’s eyes finally left mine and moved to the center of the room.  
“Did you see the ancients?!” Setrakian asked, pushing his way between Eph and Fet.  
“The ancients are dead” Quinlan said blankly. Setrakian’s jaw dropped. “The Master is not dead. Just formless. Soon, he will acquire another form and will re-commence his plan and control over the Strigoi”  
I stared at him. To me, he was like a beacon of light and I had never been so pleased to see him in all the time I’d known him. I snapped out of my trance when I remembered the need to mask my feelings for him in front of the others. I started gathering coffee mugs from around the room. Putting five on a tray, I announced that I was heading to the kitchen to re-fill the coffee. I gave him a polite nod as I quickly left the room. I felt like I’d been holding my breath the whole time. Once in the hallway, I sighed deeply and set the tray on a side table. My eyes filled with tears and I steadied myself by placing my hand on the wall. I breathed deeply, trying to gather some composure. He was back. He was alive and I was so happy to see him. Something behind me stirred and I spun around to see Quinlan standing in front of me. We stared at each other for what seemed like hours, studying each other’s faces. When I finally moved, I flung my arms around his shoulders and buried my head in his chest. I felt his hands move across my back, enveloping me in his arms. His clothes had the smell of burning and mud. Tears were starting to escape from my eyes.  
“I missed you” I said, my voice muffled by my face pressing into his coat. His stinger rattled and purred, a sound I never thought I would be happy to hear.  
“I missed you too” He said quietly, squeezing me tighter. I looked up at him, my face wet and pleading.  
“Don’t go away again” I asked. He gently wiped a tear from my face.  
“This is what I wanted to avoid” He said “You are upset”.  
I pulled away, wiped my nose on my sweater sleeve and picked up my tray. Giving him one last look before making for the elevator.

That night, I visited Fleur and Marley. Alone in the makeshift lab, I sat on a stool opposite Fleur’s cage. Marley was still strapped to a table, thrashing against the heavy leather straps. I had filled a bowl with blood from the fridge, slid it through the bars and watched as Fleur’s stinger hungrily lapped up the crimson liquid. At my request, Fet had made her a muzzle that allowed her a bit more movement and comfort than the dog collar I had threaded through her mouth when I’d first captured her. That had now been removed while she was in the confines of her cell. In the corner, I noticed a heavy duty dog catching pole that I assumed was used to remove her from behind bars to put her muzzle on. It was on the desk next to me, a metal, dome shaped cage on the front with a big buckled strap for fastening at the back of her head. As I watched her feed, I wondered if she could even understand human commands anymore. I leaned forwards, placing my elbows on my knees. On the floor, someone had painted a bright red line across the front of the cage with ‘Stinger reaches this far, do not cross line’ along the top.  
“Fleur” I said quietly. Her head snapped up and she tilted her head to one side. Her stinger retreating back into her chest but still rattling loudly. Her once broken leg had now completely healed.  
“Do you understand me?” I asked. Her head tilted to the other side and she slowly approached the bars. I moved my stool back slightly. I knew I was more than a safe distance away, but didn’t want to take any chances.  
“Give me a sign if you can understand me…anything” I watched her carefully and waited. She suddenly began looking around as if searching for something scurrying off into a gloomy corner and coming back with something in her hand. She got as close to me as possible and put the object on the floor between the bars. I was rooted to the spot, shocked by what I was seeing. She gently rolled the item through the bars, it stopped against one of my boots. A small, red, bouncy ball. I looked up and smiled at her.  
“Do you want to play?” I picked the ball up and examined it, the hotel’s branding was printed on it. I’d noticed there was a Daycare sign on the ground floor, but had never ventured in there. Maybe someone had got it from there for her. I rolled the ball gently back to her, she squealed in excitement and her stinger rattled loudly. She picked it up and rolled it back, slightly quicker this time. As I collected it for a second time, I decided to try something new.  
“Bounce it, Fleur. Through a different set of bars”  
I rolled it back, careful not to show her what I was asking her to do. She picked the ball up and moved to her left, choosing two gaps along. I watched in amazement as she bounced the ball. It hit the floor twice before bouncing into my lap. I looked at her, my mouth wide open. She reached through the bars, as if motioning for me to throw it back again.  
“You do understand me, don’t you?” I breathed. “Show me Fleur, nod or something”  
What happened next was something I would remember for the rest of my life. How long that would be I wasn’t sure. She leaned as far forward through the bars as she could, reaching for my knee and motioned with her hand again. She wasn’t asking me to throw it back, she wanted me to move closer to her.  
“No, Fleur.” I said “I can’t cross that line, you’re dangerous. You’ll hurt me”  
She shook her head enthusiastically and continued to beckon me with her hand. I couldn’t believe it, she was actually answering me. I watched her vacant eyes and how she tilted her head constantly, it must make it easier for her to hear. The fact that she was blind and was able to tell where the ball is, was incredible on its own, let alone the fact that she was a Strigoi, and able to communicate with a human. My head was arguing with my heart over whether or not to honor her request to move forward. In the end my heart won.  
“If I move forward, you have to promise not to hurt me. Nod if you understand”  
I felt a small laugh escape me as she nodded her head once in response. I slowly moved off the stool and got to my hands and knees. I crawled towards the line on the floor and stopped there. Fleur, sat up on her haunches, beckoned again and nodded. She was clicking and growling, but I could tell it wasn’t aggression. Much like the noises Quinlan made. I slowly slid one hand over the line and towards the bars. She crept towards me slowly so as not to alarm me and copied my movement. Her tiny hand appearing from between the bars. She gently placed her fingers on top of mine, just the tips, and I listened as her stingers noises intensified.  
“You can choose not to hurt me…can’t you?” I whispered. She nodded slowly and I felt her grip my fingers a little tighter.  
I had learned from Quinlan that the Strigoi’s need to feed overtook everything else and that they were unable to control it. That was not what I was witnessing here. What I was seeing was a certain level of intelligence in this little creature. She could have struck me multiple times by now and drained every last drop, but she had chosen not to. Chosen.  
“Lana!” Setrakian’s voice from behind me. “Lana, what the hell are you doing?!”  
“Shhhh!” I looked over my shoulder at him “She’s not hurting me. Look…”  
I sat back on my knees and rolled the ball to her. Setrakian stood next to me.  
“Fleur, bounce the ball to The Professor” I said. Hoping she wasn’t about to show me up. She picked up the ball and scuttled to one side, coming to a stop in front of him. I focused on the vast gap between the bars and the red line as she bounced the ball to the professor. He caught it effortlessly and looked down at me with surprise.  
“She understands you?” He said, his eyebrows lifting.  
“Yes. She may not be as intelligent as Quinlan or some of the older Strigoi. But yes, she understands me. What’s more, she’s choosing not to hurt me.”  
I leaned forward and slid my hand to her again. She hurried back to me and placed hers on top of mine.  
“Amazing.” Setrkian said. “Eph said she is completely blind too”  
“Yes, apparently she is. But she knows where that ball is at all times. Her other senses must be incredibly fine-tuned. I don’t think she’s a threat to us, professor. If she was, she’d have killed me by now”  
“Or, maybe that’s what she wants you to think” He said.  
“Maybe, although I doubt Strigoi like her are capable of manipulation.” I studied her small hand on top of mine. Her dirty little fingernails, her skin peppered with cuts that were white marks instead of the red they would be on a human hand.  
“We need to ask Mr. Quinlan about this” Setrkain said. “Bringing her back here was a good thing, Lana. We have learned a lot about these creatures from her.”  
I stood up and took a deep breath.  
“Professor, maybe you could ask Quinlan, without me” I said nervously. His brow furrowed.  
“And why might you not want to speak to him?” He asked. I sat on the stool again and looked into my lap.  
“Things are a bit…complicated. You know he cares about me. It turns out I care about him too but…it’s complicated.”  
“Ahh” He said, pulling up a wheeled chair next to me. Fleur paced back and forth behind the bars, watching us.  
“One thing I have learned from working with Mr. Quinlan these last few months, is that he’s stubborn as a Mule. I have tried to encourage him to allow himself some enjoyment but he is a tortured soul with a very important goal and I suspect that what he feels for you may be a little more than a schoolboy crush”  
“Yeah, that makes two of us” I said “Well, the Tortured soul bit. Not the goal bit. My goal is to get all the laundry done by the end of the day”  
Setrakian snorted and stood up, leaning on his cane and placing the red ball on the table.  
“Speak to him, my dear. Communication is key. Just as little Fleur here has shown you” He hobbled out of the room and I smiled at Fleur again before standing myself. I took the Ball and bounced it to her, harder than before, so it sprung up and flew over her head. She shrieked and ran after it. I laughed.  
“See you later, clever girl”  
I left the room and made my way to the tenth floor. 

As I scanned my key card, I heard Quinlan emerge from the room next to me. I tried to pretend I hadn’t seen or heard him and pushed my door open.  
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’d been avoiding me” He said. I paused and sighed.  
“Yes. No. Maybe” I muttered, stepping inside the room and closing the door. I leaned with my back against it and thought for a moment.  
“When can I see you?” A voice from the other side of the door. I decided not to answer him.  
“I know you’re on the other side of the door. I can hear your heartbeat”  
I was suddenly painfully aware that he had a Strigoi half and was using it to his advantage. Damn him and his super human hearing.  
“Just so you know, I think you should fire your representative. She’s a terrible actress. I was always fully aware of who you are”  
My heart jumped and I scrambled with the door handle, hauling the door open and peering into the empty hallway. 

Later on in the evening, darkness was falling once again. I pulled the drapes and switched on the two lamps either side of my bed. The sound of sirens was now a distant memory but I missed it, as it drowned out the screaming and sounds of feeding predators. I had decided to bury myself in a book while everyone else was in the bar discussing their next move. I had changed into a long black skirt and a loose fitting, off the shoulder sweater. One advantage to an approaching apocalypse is not being judged for opting for comfort over style. After around half an hour of being engrossed in my book, I was startled when I looked up to see Quinlan Stood at the foot of my bed.  
“What the hell?!” I jumped up and threw my book at him. He batted it away like it was a small fly. “How did you get in here? You can walk through walls now?!”  
He held up a small, white object.  
“I have a skeleton key for the entire hotel”  
I raised an eyebrow. “Of course you do. You were so quiet though…I didn’t even hear the door”.  
“Although invisibility is not one of my traits, it is not entirely impossible. Especially when one’s target is so immersed in a book she fails to notice the door mechanism noise.”  
I shuffled to the edge of the bed and placed my feet on the floor.  
“Is there something you need, Quinlan?” I asked. Wanting him to get to the point. Every moment spent with him becoming more and more difficult.  
“I was hoping you’d accept an invitation” He said, his hands clasped in front of him. His face and clothes were now clean, hiding any clues as to what he’d been doing in the last week.  
“You having a birthday?” I said sarcastically, pulling my hair into a loose ponytail “Two thousand and one years old?”  
I heard him scoff.  
“Please, just come with me” He said. I looked up at his face, feeling that familiar nervousness I always got when in his presence. Unable to decide what I really wanted to do, I forced myself to make a decision. Any decision.  
“Ok, fine” I stood and walked towards him, loose strands of wavy black hair falling over my cheeks, tickling my skin. I heard him growl slightly as I passed him and walked out of the door into the hallway. My skirt swished around my ankles and my bare feet sank into the luxurious hallway carpet. Quinlan followed and closed the door to my room behind him.  
“Where are we going? Do I need shoes?” I asked.  
“No” he said, taking my hand and leading me toward the elevator. An act that had completely caught me off guard. His skin was so warm and along with my nervousness, was making my palm sweaty. 

We stood in silence in the elevator, still hand in hand. It stopped at the Eighth floor. Somewhere I’d never ventured to before, mainly because I’d never needed to. It wasn’t occupied by anyone, we all used the ground floor, the basement and the Tenth floor. As the doors opened I could smell what I thought was matches. The hallway was dimly lit by pillar candles on the side tables that lined the walls on each side.  
“What…is this?” I asked. He gripped my hand slightly tighter.  
“Patience” He said, leading me down the hall to some double doors with ‘Executive lounge’ written on a plaque on the wall.  
He pushed one door open and entered the room, leading me in by my hand. Once inside I let go of him and gasped. The large room was filled with enormous velvet couches and candles on every flat surface. It was warm and inviting. My eyes scanned my surroundings and I stood for a few moments like a child in a sweet shop, mouth open, slowly spinning in circles.  
“Electricity is something I have only seen for part of my life. When I was born, there was no such thing. Therefore I have done everything by candlelight.” Quinlan said, walking slowly around the couches and choosing one in the middle of the room before sitting down.  
“It provides an ambience, a sense of quiet, it changes the feel of a room in seconds. It also helps me think”  
Finally coming to my senses, I followed him and sat on the couch opposite. The rug on the floor in-between us felt like silk under my bare feet.  
“Why have you brought me here?” I said.  
“To Talk” He unbuttoned his waistcoat, slid it from his shoulders and placed it on the couch next to him. His muscular arms barely contained by the tight fitting, long sleeved shirt that covered his torso. In this light, I could still make out the red spirals on his throat. His stinger clicked and purred.  
“Where have you been for the last week?” I asked. He sat back and rubbed his chin briefly with his left hand.  
“I went to see the ancients. While there, I was met by Thomas Eichorst, an Army of Strigoi and a nuclear bomb.”  
My eyes widened as I put two and two together.  
“The blast we watched from the roof. It swallowed so many buildings. It was so loud. You were…in that?”  
“I managed to fight my way out, but caught the tail end of it. This is how I know the ancients are dead”  
I sat for a moment and played with my hands in my lap.  
“You…you survived a nuclear bomb?!” I said in disbelief.  
“Apparently so”  
I shook my head. “Amazing. Explains why you showed up looking the way you did. I mean…I’m glad you’re alive. Obviously.”  
“Lana, before I left, we had a conversation. Well, you spoke a lot and then left” He leaned forward again. I felt anxiousness rise in my stomach. Were we really going to discuss my little outburst? I’d hoped he was going to let me sweep that under the carpet.  
“Uh…yes.” I said, nervously pulling my legs underneath me and shifting to my side on the couch.  
“I need to address some of the things you said”  
I stared at him like a deer in headlights and slowly nodded.  
“You are not annoying. What is annoying to me, is my inability to stay away from you. I know that you aren’t as confident as you’d like everyone to think. I also know that you doubt yourself constantly. This was apparent to me before we even met. You forget, I was following this group for a long time, I had acquired knowledge of you and who you really are long before I found you on the factory floor. I know that you don’t know how to take compliments, but you may find you are in good company. My appearance has meant that compliments are a foreign thing to me also, until you. You have been very forthcoming with your opinion of me and this is where you prove that you maybe are more confident than you believe. I have been unable to think of a reason why you believe your inexperience would be an issue for me. I can assure you, I may be a lot older than you, but it has not been an easy feat to find a woman that really sees me like you do. As for your stolen candy bar, congratulations, you are a criminal genius, you didn’t get caught.”  
I was biting my lip and holding my breath. Releasing it into a huge sigh I laughed slightly.  
“I’m sorry about my big speech” I said coyly. “I do that when I get nervous. You make me nervous”  
“It is entirely possible that you make me nervous too” he said, his lips forming a thin smile. I stood up and crossed the soft rug to sit next to him. I lifted my skirt slightly to enable me to sit sideways with one leg bent underneath me and one foot on the floor, facing him. My right arm leaning on the back cushion of the couch, propping my head up. Quinlan shifted to face me too.  
“Your opinion of your body is completely unfounded, and no doubt fueled by society’s need for women to look a certain way.”  
He moved his hand and placed it on my exposed knee. I looked down and watched as he very slowly moved his hand up my thigh, pushing his way under my skirt. His touch felt electric, I had missed this feeling.  
“To me, you are so desirable… I find that you constantly test my self-control”  
He stopped moving his hand but left it where it was to gauge my reaction. Our eyes met and I felt my stomach flip.  
“You keep telling me we can’t do this. That you won’t do this. Because you’re going to die.” I said quietly. “Then you bring me here, with all these candles and this atmosphere and you’re pretty much seducing me.” I pleaded.  
“Last week, I was shot ten times, this week, Eichorst attempted to blow me up with a nuclear weapon. I am starting to see that if there is something good in my life before it ends, that I should treasure it, indulge in it and protect it with everything I have. The Master must know by now how I feel about you and he will try to take you from me, he will not succeed. I have endured the worst times of my life alone, I don’t need anyone. But you are in my life and that’s because I want you there”  
He moved closer to me on the couch, completely facing me now and placing his other hand on my other thigh. He was so close to me I could feel the warmth from his body.  
“Lana, you are the sun and I am a small piece of space just happy to be near you”.  
In my mere 26 years of life, no one had ever spoken to me like this before. My mind raced and my heart jumped. I was sure he could hear it beating a happy tune in my chest.  
The world stopped when he kissed me.  
It was the kind of kiss that made me realize that no matter what was going on outside these walls, no matter what the state of the world, no matter who was left and who wasn’t, I hadn’t been this happy in my life. As he pulled me closer to him and moved a hand up to my face, he stroked my cheek with his thumb. His lips were warm and inviting. He was speaking to my soul. His breathing became deep. I pressed my body against him and felt him pull me onto his lap, one leg either side of him. He slid both hands across the base of my back and up, underneath my sweater. I put my hands on his chest to steady myself and he stopped kissing me for a moment to look into my eyes.  
“You are OK?” He asked. I smiled bashfully and nodded.  
“I feel like I have wasted so much time watching you when I should have been kissing you. I am sorry”  
“Better late than never” I replied, whispering in his ear and kissing his neck. With my legs either side of his and sat on his lap, I could feel him stir beneath me as he kissed me deeply again. It occurred to me that I had no idea about his body or how it would react. The thought scared me a little. While I saw him as a man, he was also a Strigoi. He must have been able to sense my apprehension as he gently pulled his lips from mine and brushed my hair from my face.  
“Something is wrong” he stated. “Tell me”  
“I-I um…” I started not sure how to put it into words. I leaned my forehead on his for a second while I gathered my thoughts before sitting back slightly.  
“I’m not sure-I mean, I don’t know how…”  
Quinlan sat up higher, his hands running down my back and settling back onto my thighs. He looked at me expectantly.  
“It’s OK, just tell me” He probed.  
“I trust you, Quinlan. I do. I just don’t know much about you-your body, how it reacts. I don’t know what to expect.”  
His face relaxed slightly. Almost as if he was relieved at my admission.  
“I see.” He said “The primary difference between me and a human male is the stinger. You know I can control it and I would never hurt you. The noises may increase in volume. Then, there is my inability to procreate. I am most definitely male, but while I am able to experience physical love like humans, I am unable to father children. I can assure you, you will not find anything unusual in that respect. You need not fear me”  
I shuffled backwards until my feet hit the floor and slowly stood up. Looking down at him, his eyes still bearing into my soul. I wasn't expecting what happened next. He suddenly got up too, took hold of the bottom of his long sleeved top and pulled the whole thing off, depositing it on the floor. My eyes darted everywhere. Before settling on his amazing body.  
"What-what are you doing?" I said quietly.  
"You have been frightened of what you do not understand. You must educate yourself in order to move forward”.  
He took my hand and placed one on the spirals of his throat and one on his chest. The clicking intensified and he began to growl. Beneath my almost shaking hand on his chest, I could feel his stinger rattling in its cage, the vibrations shaking through my bones. I thought he was maybe making it move on purpose, to enable me to get used to it.  
“Are you doing that intentionally?” I asked. The noises quieted slightly and he smiled. I knew it.  
“Your throat...” I started  
“Strigoi develop them over time. You can usually decipher a Strigoi’s age from this. The color is stronger when I feed” As he spoke, the red tinted patterns beneath my fingers vibrated and I noticed the skin was actually slightly thinner than anywhere else.  
I couldn't resist, I moved my hands, stroking his scarred skin with my fingertips, moving over the bumps of muscles across his tight, toned abdomen, reaching his waistline and belt buckle before stopping. His skin was soft except for the scarring. Thousands of years of battles etched onto it like a canvas. I briefly stepped around to his back, following more scars and patterns like a winding road, leading me to an unknown destination. Some of the scarring was incredibly deep, leaving huge, raised slash marks. I observed his strong shoulders before returning to his front.  
“You have so many scars” I said. “I’m not sure I want to know where they are all from” The clicking was soothing me now, I liked its sound.  
“Maybe I will tell you one day” He replied. I placed both of my hands on his chest and stepped closer to him. I felt his arms slide around my waist. I lifted one hand to touch his face, tracing the markings that ran from the top of his head to below his ears. My fingers ran over his raised cheekbones. He was patient with me, letting me touch his skin, letting me learn about him, becoming familiar with him.  
“I love these markings” I breathed. My fingertip caressing the dark imprints across his cheek.  
“You… like them?” He asked, a hint of surprise in his voice  
“Yes. They’re beautiful, they fascinate me.” He leaned in and kissed me gently, sending a wave of pleasure coursing through my veins.  
“Thank you” He replied. “You see, there is nothing to fear”. I felt him pull at my waist, pressing my body against his. He kissed me deeply again, I could feel him smiling as his lips tickled mine. Then I heard him growl. It wasn’t his stinger this time. It was him. A Human growl of pleasure, of need. If it wasn’t for him holding me, I’m pretty sure I’d have crumpled to the floor. He made me weak, his kiss sent fireworks off in my mind, set my soul on fire and I hoped that the way he kissed was the way he did everything else.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Enjoy! <3

When we think of “meant to be”, we automatically assume forever. But maybe it isn’t supposed to last forever. Maybe it’s someone who is in your life to teach you something, to help you know yourself, to show you your worth. Maybe you do that for them too. Maybe the forever is not the person, but what we learn from them and how they make us feel when forever isn’t possible.  
While I knew Quinlan wasn’t going to be around forever, I tried to focus on what he could teach me and how he made me feel. When I was with him, I knew who I was. When he ran his hands over my past, lingering over the worn edges, the bad decisions, the dents of my heart, I thought he’d run away. Instead, he told me I was a warrior and that as long as he was around, I’d never fight another battle alone and after he was gone he would have taught me that being guarded and emotionally damaged does not define me. It’s just a small part of what makes me cautious, smart and…me. 

After Quinlan kissed me over and over and almost turned me into a quivering mess, I had to stop him. For once, my head ruled over my heart, telling me that rushing into this was not a good idea. I knew I should savor it for as long as I could. Because after all the exchanged glances, all the secret conversations and the stolen touches, I knew that sex was too soon. I wanted everything that lead up to it. The slow kissing, then the passionate kissing, the pulling closer, the neck kisses, the grabbing, biting, heavy breathing, the grinding, the part where you can’t catch your breath because you can’t feel enough of that person. I wanted that. And I wanted it with him. 

I backed away from him and watched as he picked up his shirt and pulled it back on, stretching his arms to shift it into place. I felt a stab of disappointment that I could no longer marvel at him. He kept catching my eye. A ball of excitement twisting and turning in my stomach. He likes me. He wants me. Me, no one else.  
“You’re blushing” He said.  
I rolled my eyes and giggled. “Yes, I know”  
He stepped towards me and kissed my forehead softly. “I know you probably wish to refrain for telling the others about…this. So until you are ready, if you are ever ready, it will be our secret”  
I thought for a second and looked around the room at the flickering candles, at least twenty of them spread out all over the room. I didn’t want to leave here, but it would have been noticed that we were both missing by now.  
“What is ‘this’ exactly?” I asked. He picked up his waistcoat and slid it over his shoulders, fastening it at the front. I watched as he moved around the room extinguishing the candles. All of them but the one on a table next to me.  
“Must it have a label? I have never understood the human need to give everything a label or a name” He said as he returned to me.  
“Yes, it needs a label.” I said bluntly “I need to know where I stand. Maybe human’s need to name everything because to name something is to sometimes give it power. It makes it ‘something’, it makes it real”.  
“That, is up to you” he said, pinching out the last candle. “But I can assure you, it is real regardless” The room feel into pitch darkness and I felt him pull me to him once more, his lips kissing down my neck to my collar bone. I heard another low growl as he pulled back quickly.  
“I need to part from you now. I cannot stop touching you”  
Waves of excitement and happiness washed over me. He took my hand and led me to the door. When he opened it the dim light from the candles out in the hall flooded the room. Quinlan left the room first and guided me out, still holding my hand. He closed the door behind me, let go of my hand and extinguished the candles on each side table as we walked to the elevator. The hallway fell dark and as the elevator pinged, I squinted as the harsh, white light beamed through the gaps in the doors and spread over us in a blanket of white. We stood in the big, metal box with its stinging light and ornate walls. I waited for my eyes to adjust to the light and noticed Quinlan staring at me again. I had to look up slightly, he was a good three inches taller than me.  
“I used to think you were a man of few words” I jested. Grinning at him and swishing my skirt around like a love struck teenager.  
“I speak… when I have something to say” He said. He watched me approach the mirrored surface in the wall of the elevator and tug at my elasticated hair tie. It released my messy, hair and it fell down my back, a cascade of black waves, shimmering in the light. I felt Quinlan slowly, and very deliberately run his finger through my hair and down my spine. Even through my sweater, my skin prickled and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the last chance I’d have for a while to enjoy his touch. When his finger left my back, I turned to see him smirking at me, an expression I copied as the elevator doors opened on the Tenth floor. We stood next to one another, looking at the empty hallway, with broad smiles. In Silence. After a few moments, the lift pinged, Quinlan hit the ‘Open Doors’ button and returned to his quiet stance next to me.  
“Resist the temptation to throw yourself at me in front of the others, won’t you?” He said. My head snapped round and I gawped at him, mouth open.  
“Did you just poke fun at me? Did you just make a big-headed comment?! Did you also just use sarcasm?! I whispered but with intent. He looked at me and smiled before quickly kissing me on the cheek and walking out of the elevator.  
“Full of surprises” I called after him, but still keeping my voice low so as not to be heard. I saw him glance over his shoulder, but he didn’t look at me. He sauntered down the hall, like the confident, handsome, badass he was. 

I spent the night restlessly flipping about in my bed, thinking of nothing but him. I couldn’t wait to see him again even if it meant I couldn’t touch him, or speak to him the way I wanted to. I could hear people padding down the hallway at all times of the night on the thick carpet, discussing The Master, The Lumen and how mad I’d be if they woke me to make coffee for them. I rarely joined their conversations, there wasn’t much I could add, after all.  
In the morning, I lay awake since the sun came up and decided to re-surface and show my face. I took a shower, pulled my hair up into a loose bun and threw on some Jeans and an oversized sweater. As I passed the mirror, I caught sight of my reflection. It had been months since I’d worn a scrap of make-up. It had no place in a Strigoi dominated world. But today, I looked tired. After using some concealer and tidying my brows, I decided I was good to go. In the Tenth floor bar, Quinlan was, once again, the first to look at me but quickly looked back at the table that everyone was stood around, There was not even a hint of what he was thinking. Dutch approached me and offered me coffee.  
“Where were you last night? Setrakian said you’d made some kind of discovery with Fleur” She asked. I panicked, realizing I had not got my story straight.  
“I was…I was tired, so I went to bed early. Where’s Fet?”  
“Out, scavenging. I knocked on your door” She said, narrowing her gaze at me.  
“Really? Oh. Sorry, I must have slept through it” I smiled, taking the coffee. I saw the professor look up at me.  
“Lana! Please, tell the others about your little game with Fleur yesterday. Maybe Mr. Quinlan can provide us with more information” Everyone looked at me. This wasn’t exactly public speaking, but I felt nervous. Especially because I was hiding something.  
“Uuh…Fleur is a lot more intelligent than we first thought” I approached the table and clutched my coffee mug between both of my hands. The hot liquid inside heating the ceramic creating a pleasant and comforting sensation.  
“I spent some time on my own with her, I fed her and then…well, I started speaking to her.”  
This peaked Eph’s interest, he sat on the arm of a nearby couch. I heard him scoff. “What did you say?” He asked.  
“I asked if she could understand me. Her reaction was instant, I know she can’t see, but she looked right at me. Then she went off to look for something and came back with a red, rubber ball. She rolled it to me.”  
“She did what?!” Eph’s face lit up.  
“She rolled it to me. So I rolled it back. When she returned it, I asked her to bounce it, but through a different pair of the bars, so she did. I couldn’t believe it. She knew exactly where the ball was and she could understand my commands” I could feel Quinlan’s gaze burning into my soul, he was stood next to me, to my right. I caught his eye and quickly looked away.  
“Then…”I continued “She wanted me to move closer, so I made her promise not to hurt me. She nodded. She actually nodded at me. So I slid my hand across the red line and-“  
“Why would you do that?” Quinlan intercepted “She may be a feeler but she is still a dangerous creature, a predator”  
“And…” I carried on, pretending I’d not heard him “She put her fingers on top of mine. In fact, she did it twice.”  
“She could have killed you” Quinlan said.  
“But she didn’t, she chose not to.”  
“They do not choose” He argued.  
“Quinlan’s right, Lana. They don’t have the capacity to choose. The worms make up what’s left of their brain” Eph added.  
“Well, I sat there with her for a long time and she never showed a hint of wanting to hurt me. I am telling you, that little Striogi made a choice”  
“I can vouch for this” the professor chimed in. “I saw it with my own eyes. I arrived as all this was going on. Lana demonstrated it to me. It was remarkable”  
I could still feel Quinlan looking at me. I could also feel his disapproval. I kept looking at everyone but him.  
Eph stood up and started pacing the floor.  
“So she’s smarter than we thought, so what?”  
“We could use her.” I said. Everyone looked at me again, this time it was as if they were all seeing three heads.  
“What?” Dutch questioned.  
“Well, we could use her, she can move amongst the Strigoi. Imagine if she could be used to retrieve things for us. She can’t see, so the Master can’t use her as a vessel to watch us. I don’t know, I’m just shooting in the wind here, throwing ideas out there. But what’s most important, is that we underestimated her and if we’ve done that with her, maybe we’ve done it with the rest of them.”  
“She’s got a point.” Dutch said.  
The room fell silent except for Eph muttering under his breath and me slurping my coffee. I turned on my heels and went to put my feet up on the couch. I noticed Quinlan slowly turn to catch a glimpse of me before returning his gaze to the group.  
“She does indeed make a good point. But I’m not buying it. Maybe it’s a fluke, a one off.” Said Eph.  
“Our main priority should be to retrieve the black box from outside the safe zone” Quinlan changed the subject. “Eph, Dutch, can you be prepared to leave in an hour?” He asked. Eph nodded. Dutch sighed loudly.  
“We don’t know what we’d be getting ourselves into out there” She said. Quinlan looked at her.  
“Are you going, or not?” He asked.  
“I’ll go” I chirped, immediately sensing Quinlan’s agitation as he shot me a stern look.  
“Absolutely not” He scolded.  
“Why? Maybe I can be useful. I’ll drive…or- “  
“No.” Quinlan snapped. I saw Eph and Setrakian Exchange a glance.  
“It’s OK, I’ll go” Dutch said “I’m going to get ready” She half smiled at me as she left the room. Setrakian grabbed his cane and started for the door as well.  
“Eph, come with me. We’re going to see that Strigoi in the basement first” He said. Eph followed, leaving Quinlan stood in the middle of the room, facing away from me. I studied his imposing frame, his strong shoulders and his discerning demeanor.  
“You aren’t going” He said, keeping the volume of his voice low. “I won’t have you put in danger”  
I sighed, placed my coffee on the table in front of me and reclined on the couch, my head resting on the soft, cushioned arm. He still hadn’t turned to face me.  
“Are you going to stop me?” I asked playfully.  
“You know that I can stop you and you know that I will” He replied, turning his head slightly towards his shoulder but still not looking at me. I got up from the couch and approached him slowly, careful to make every footstep silent.  
“Are you getting aggressive and demanding with me?” I whispered in his ear. I heard him inhale deeply. I placed my hand on his waist and slowly felt around the side of his body, to his abs and stopped just above his belt.  
“You are tormenting me” He said quietly.  
“Then let me go with you” Now he turned and looked at me. I kept my hand where it was.  
“To burn with desire and to keep quiet about it, is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves” He said. “What you are doing, is manipulation” I instantly felt guilty and took my hand away.  
“You’re right, I’m sorry. I-I’m not that person. I just want to do something that makes a difference”  
“You are. You’ve made a significant discovery with the small Strigoi”  
I raised my eyebrows “So you agree, it’s significant?” I asked  
“…Maybe” He said.  
He quickly looked over at the door and then back to me before kissing me, his tongue playfully brushing mine. I melted into him, glad of his hand on the back of my head to steady me. He pulled away gently.  
“You have made a difference to me too. That is why you cannot go”. Then he turned and left the room. 

In the basement, I joined Eph and Setrakian and was told how they had tried and tried to get Fleur to follow their instructions or at least acknowledge their existence but to no avail. It seemed the only person she would listen to was me, following my first command like a well-trained dog. Eph and The professor agreed to at least think about a use for her instead of killing her when they were finished experimenting on her. When they left the room, I sat in front of her cage, cross legged and slid both my hands across the floor. She did the same and held onto me with her warm little fingers.  
“I’m going to open the door. You will not move” I said. Knowing that I may be inviting my own death by opening her cell, I carried on regardless, determined to prove my point. I asked her to move back and stay put while I stood and unhooked the key from the wall. Fleur crouched in the center of the cell and waited with anticipation. The door clunked and emitted a high-pitched screech as its hinges worked. I didn’t open it fully at first, waiting to see what her reaction would be. She didn’t move, just watched and waited. Finally opening the door all the way, I stood and looked at her. She still had not moved although she had the perfect opportunity to hurt me. I assumed I should act around Fleur the way any human would act around a dangerous animal. Fearless and in control.  
“Come here Fleur” I ordered, pointing to the floor beside my feet. She instantly did as she was told, scuttling across the floor and sitting at my feet. She was so close to me and still there was no sign that she would hurt me. She waited for me to speak again. I looked around the room for a second, finding another order for her.  
“Fleur, see that bottle on the table? Please get it for me” I asked. She shot off like a bat out of hell. Her stinger rattling and clicking the whole time. She jumped up, grabbed the bottle and raced back to me, placing it at my feet. I smiled at her and slowly reached down to touch her balding head. She looked down, as if giving me permission. As I touched her scalp, I noticed how warm she was. I softly brushed her head with my hand.  
“Thank you” I whispered. 

While I had not deliberately decided to ignore Quinlan. I had come a long way in the past few weeks. I had grown a backbone and was no longer the timid, constantly frightened mess I had been in the beginning. So I had taken the decision to ignore him. I was not staying at home when I could be useful to this cause. I watched from behind the sweeping staircase in the lobby as Dutch, Eph and Quinlan loaded Eph’s car with weapons. Fleur, who was now back on her leash, except with the collar around her neck instead of her mouth, twitched and swayed at my side. Obediently waiting for my next move. I’d taken a coat from the staircase, who it belonged to, I didn’t know. I’d wrapped it around Fleur, pulling its hood over her head and tying its strings under her chin to protect her from the daylight.  
When everyone was in the car and the engine roared to life, I rounded the staircase, grabbed some truck keys from the reception desk and quietly made my way down the narrow hall at the side of the lobby that lead to the side door. Fleur scurrying along behind me, pulled by her leash. Before we had left the Basement, I had taken a knife and a gun from Eph’s desk drawer. Just in case I did run into some trouble of my own. I opened the side door and peered around the corner to check no one was watching. The coast was clear. Fleur and I sprinted across the alley to the blue, beaten up truck. I opened the back and let fleur in, telling her to stay out of sight before jumping in the driver’s seat and starting the engine. I had figured that to obtain a black box, Eph, Dutch and Quinlan were making their way to the Airport, where this whole thing started. So I drove, chatting away to Fleur in the back as I swerved around trash and discarded cars in the road. I hit the brakes when I saw Eph’s car ahead of me. He was driving slower than I was so I decided to hold back and follow them as far back as I could so they didn’t notice me. My heart started to beat faster, knowing that Quinlan was most probably going to be really mad at me. But I wanted to do this, I knew I could help, somehow. I waited around a corner as the car went through a checkpoint, Eph spoke to the Guard on the gate briefly, showed him his CDC I.D and the car slowly move off out of sight. Now was my turn. I quickly glanced behind me, Fleur was sat at the back of the truck shrouded in the darkness. There was a large cardboard box to her left in the corner.  
“Fleur, get behind that box, so no one see’s you” I said. She did as she was told.  
I hit the accelerator and rounded the corner to the checkpoint, coming to a stop at the gate. The guard approached me and motioned for me to lower my window.  
“You know you’re leaving the safe zone, right?” He asked. His baby face and big brown eyes glaring down at me.  
“I am aware. I’m with the people in the car in front. Ephraim Goodweather, he’s with the CDC” I said confidently. The guard studied my face for a moment. Then he glanced behind me and clicked his torch on, shining it through to the back of the truck.  
“What’s in the box?” he asked. I knew very well that I did not have to declare anything right now. I was entering an unsafe zone, not a safe one.  
“Nothing, it’s empty. Can I go? Or do you want to see my license and registration?” I said, eyeballing him. He paused for a moment before waving me on. I wound the window up and breathed a sigh of relief that I could still see Eph’s car in the distance.  
After following them for at least 15 minutes, they turned off into the Airport. I decided to park the truck away from them, out of sight. I shut off the engine in a service entrance at the other end of the building, unloaded Fleur, checked her coat was still providing her with protection and ran towards where I had last seen the car. On the runway, I noticed the car had been parked by one of the airport gates which still had its stairs attached. I quickly ran towards it, Fleur bobbing along behind me, not showing any signs of tiring yet. Inside, I crept along quiet, abandoned landings, past silent shops and bars and eventually, at the end of a long hallway, heard voices.  
“There’s hundreds of them.” Dutch whispered “We will never get through that without being Vamp meat!”  
“Quinlan?” Eph’s voice.  
“There are too many even for me to deal with, we will have to find another way” Quinlan replied. In the background, I could hear the unmistakable noise of hundreds of Strigoi stingers. The air carried the smell of ammonia. I looked behind me at Fleur, who actually appeared quite cute in her oversized coat with its fur lined hood. She twitched her head as if to display that she was listening. I crouched in front of her and held her hand  
“I need your help” I said “right now, you must be super quiet and stay where you are” I squeezed her hand and gradually edged towards the end of the hallway. Peering around the corner, I saw Dutch, Eph and Quinlan looking over the first floor barrier onto a vast mass of Strigoi. While they all seemed to be resting, the noise and smell was powerful. Dutch was right, there looked to be at least two hundred of them.  
“Where is the box located?” Quinlan asked  
“In there” He pointed across the mass of predators to an open door on the left. “Once we get in there it should be pretty easy to find. It’s a rectangular black box with a handle. The last time I saw it, it was the only one on the shelf”  
“Hmm” Quinlan mused. I took a deep breath and went back to fleur. I knelt in front of her, untied her hood, slipped off her coat and draped it over my arm. I slowly and quietly walked around the corner, clutching her leash and stood behind Eph, Dutch and Quinlan. Far back enough that I knew Quinlan could not detect me with this Strigoi, ninja skills.  
“There doesn’t appear to be another way, I will have to distract them while you two make a run for it” Quinlan began to slowly unsheathe his sword from behind his back.  
“That won’t be necessary” I said, loud enough for all three of them to spin round and look at me in shock. I looked down at the Strigoi beside me.  
“Fleur, down there, there’s a door on the left that leads to a room. In that room is a black box with a handle. Go and get it for me please” Her head snapped from side to side for a few moments while she took in her surroundings, listening for every little sound and figuring out her route. I unclipped her leash and she set off, but not the way I thought she would, she scaled the wall at the side of us and shot across it like a spider on speed. I watched in amazement as she neared the door to the room that contained the box. She paused above it, her head twitching again, before disappearing inside.  
“What the fuck” Eph breathed.  
I looked to my left and caught Quinlan’s eye. He looked furious with me. I looked away again and hoped that by the time we got back to the hotel, he no longer wanted to yell at me. Or say lots of long words to me.  
Fleur was taking a while. The Strigoi noises from beneath us sounded even louder in the awkward atmosphere.  
“Lana, what are you doing here?” Dutch asked, moving to stand between Quinlan and I.  
“Helping” I answered.  
After a few minutes, Fleur emerged, hauling herself up and over the top of the door frame with the box in one hand. It looked heavy and I wondered how her tiny little hands and arms were managing to hold the weight of it as well as propel her along the wall. She almost slipped a couple of times and my breath caught in my throat. I wasn’t sure why, if she fell, she would only fall into a pit of her own kind. It was then I realized that I’d become quite attached to her. When she had finally returned with the box, she sat at my feet and placed it on the floor before looking up at me with her vacant eyes.  
“Thank you, Fleur” I said, picking up the box and clipping her leash back on. I stroked her head briefly before walking over to Eph.  
“Here” I said, holding out the box. He stared at Fleur, and then at me.  
“Uh…Thanks” He stammered. Taking the box from my hands.  
I turned and we began walking back the same way we had entered the building. What a team we made. The Strigoi and I. 

Back at the hotel, everyone was rather quiet. Unloading the car without speaking was kind of painful. I flat refused to look at Quinlan, but I could feel his powerful stare. Once inside, I took Fleur’s coat off and headed to the kitchen to feed her. Her Stinger hungrily lapped up the blood from the bowl and she sat quietly in front of me once she’d finished her meal. When I left the kitchen, I was surprised to find everyone congregated in the lobby.  
“Lana, Good to see you in one piece” Fet said, perched on the arm of one of the lobby’s long couches. “The Professor told me about this little scamp and how she thinks you’re her mama” he nodded in Fleur’s direction.  
“What the hell were you thinking, following us and bringing that thing with you?” Eph said. Setrakian was stood at the back of the group but moved through everyone to stand next to me at the sound of Eph’s comment.  
“I was thinking I could help…and I did. She didn’t hurt anyone” I snapped.  
“Hey, asshole. She got you your damn box, didn’t she?” Fet argued.  
“Ephraim, let’s see the positive here. We have the box and no one was hurt. In fact, it sounds like no one had to do anything except drive” Setrakian said, turning to me “Nice work, Lana. And you, Fleur” The little Strigoi sat patiently, listening to the professors voice.  
I looked at Dutch who was shaking her coat off from her shoulders, she caught me eye and smiled at me, giving me a ‘thumbs up’  
Quinlan, was stood behind me, close to the wall. Still in his hood, coat and sunglasses. He said nothing, instead opting to leave. He entered the elevator at the same time I decided to take Fleur back to her cage. I left the lobby and headed for the Basement. I was sure I’d done the right thing, no matter what anyone said. The goal was to get the Black box, and that’s exactly what happened. What’s more, no one was put in harms way. 

On the Tenth floor, I entered my room, closed the door and stopped for a second so collect my thoughts. I leaned my shoulder on the wall and sighed.  
Someone was in my room. I don’t know how I knew, I just did. I stood upright again and entered the main room. Quinlan was sat in the chair in the corner. His coat, sword and guns placed on my bed. He was glaring at me with his hand on his chin, stroking his non-existent beard. I slowly sat on my bed next to his posessions, facing him.  
“You disobeyed me” He said.  
“Oh come on. I did not disobey you, because you don’t dictate what I can and can’t do”  
“You could have been hurt, or killed”  
“But I wasn’t. In fact, no one saw any action at all. I even prevented you from having to use Mr. Femur here” I said, tapping the handle of his sword. He dropped his hand in his lap.  
“You are reckless. Impulsive. I attempted to show you how strong you can be, but you’ve taken it to the extreme and you and your Strigoi pet are likely to get yourself killed”.  
I rolled my eyes.  
“Oh please, don’t treat me like a child. I may be 1,974 years younger than you, but I am not a child, nor am I an idiot. I did something that made a difference, something that helped, instead of just being the coffee bitch for a change!”  
A hint of surprise crossed his face. He obviously wasn’t expecting such a stern response. He got up from the chair, gathered his coat and weapons and went to leave. Pausing in the doorway.  
“This is not about you and your desire to be needed. It is about the fate of this city and the world. This is not a game”  
I chose not to validate his comments with a response. Instead I stood and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. 

At around 8pm, I sat in the tenth floor bar eating soup with Dutch. We sat on either side of the bar, facing one another. I hadn’t seen anyone else since my little spat with Quinlan in my room.  
“You’re quiet” She said. I shoveled a huge spoonful of chicken soup into my mouth and shrugged.  
“You did a good thing today. Don’t listen to Eph, he’s really happy we have the box. We have it because of you”  
I stopped eating and looked at her, my eyebrow raised.  
“OK, well we would have got it anyway but you saved Quinlan a hell of a lot of energy”  
I stirred my soup and swallowed. “Yeah, the quickest and safest way” I mumbled.  
“I was pretty shocked, but it was…cool!” She laughed. “I was about ready to cut off some Strigoi..”  
“He kissed me” I blurted out. My eyes widened. What the hell did I say that for?! I stared into my bowl.  
“What?” Dutch put down her spoon and pushed her bowl aside.  
“I don’t know why I just told you that” I admitted.  
“Um, because that is some huge news! He kissed you?!” she exclaimed.  
“Yeah. Last night.” I looked up sheepishly and bit my lip.  
“So that’s why you didn’t answer the door”  
“No, I really wasn’t in my room. I was down on the Eighth Floor. With Quinlan.”  
She looked confused and furrowed her brow.  
“What’s on the eighth floor?” She asked.  
“A huge executive room full of candles and soft carpets and comfortable sofas and a half Strigoi with a really, really good set of abs.” I sighed briefly. “Pass me that peach schnapps”. Dutch quickly reached under the bar and put the bottle on the table. I took it, unscrewed the cap and took a big gulp. Sweetness and stinging filling my mouth and throat.  
Dutch laughed.  
“I can’t believe this! Tell me what happened!”  
I shrugged. “We were talking and he just…kissed me. He really likes me. I really like him. It wasn’t weird. I thought it’d be weird, y’know? It wasn’t weird. Not even a little bit. Then I was on his lap and there was touching and more kissing, that wasn’t weird either. I was expecting weirdness. No weirdness at all. Just kissing and touching and really good abs.” I rambled, staring into space.  
“You lost me at the word ‘lap’. You were on his lap?” She said, leaning over the bar towards me. I took another drink, screwing my face up as I swallowed the sickly liquid.  
“I had to ask about him. Like, how he works and if anything is…different. Do you know what I mean?” I asked cautiously.  
“Yeah, you asked if he has junk” She said plainly.  
“Mmhmm. He does. He’s…he’s really hot, Dutch. You have no idea. I mean, he’s mesmerizing. He has all these markings and scars and he’s built like some kind of god.”  
“I can’t say I’m into the Strigoi thing but good for you!” She jested as she swigged from the Schnapps bottle. “And yay for junk!”  
“I don’t see a Strigoi when I look at him. I see a human. An unusual, fascinating human. With really good abs.”  
She smiled and propped her head up on her hand.  
“What you just said is why he kissed you. Not the abs thing - You see him as human. I knew he had it bad for you, he’s always moping about, watching you. Trying to keep you away from getting so much as a papercut. You must have really shocked him today”.  
I pulled a face “Yeah, he’s pretty mad at me. He’s being a bit of an asshat about it”  
“He’ll come around. Just be patient” She said, giving my arm a gentle squeeze.  
“Patience is a virtue” A voice from the doorway. Quinlan’s. I froze. Had he just heard everything I’d said?! Dutch’s mouth hung open.  
“Would you mind if I had a conversation with Lana?” He asked her.  
“Uh…sure!” She stammered, rising from her seat and taking the bottle. I clamped my hand firmly around it and pulled it back to me. She refused to let go, leaning in to me until her mouth was above my ear.  
“Let it go, you need to do this without alcohol” She hissed. I reluctantly released the bottle from my grasp. She grinned and me and walked off, swinging the bottle to and fro. 

I didn’t turn around, I just waited to see if this conversation was going to be easier than the last. But not expecting so as not to be disappointed. I played with my hands on top of the bar. I could hear Quinlan pacing back and forth behind me. It seemed like forever before he finally stopped and spoke.  
“I apologize” He said quietly.  
I slowly turned on my seat to face him. He was stood a meter or so away from me, his hands clasped together in front of him.  
“There’s a what, now? I didn’t quite hear that?” I said. Smugly.  
“I apologize” he said, louder this time and with a hint of irritation.  
“Ah” I said “Apology accepted. You have to admit, I pulled some impressive shit today”  
“I still don’t condone your actions. What you did may have meant I didn’t have to engage in any violence, but I wanted you out of harm’s way” he said, stepping closer to me.  
“You of all people should know, we can’t always have what we want”  
“This is not that simple. The Master must know who you are and what you mean to me. You leaving this building is dangero-.”  
“What do I mean to you, Quinlan?” I interrupted. Ignoring his concerns about the master and focusing more on my selfish need for a label, or an explaination as to what was going on between us. He looked away and began to pace slowly again. I waited. Suddenly, he strode to the door, checked the hallway and was directly in front of me again before I could even blink. He held my face in his hands and kissed me, breaking down any walls I had been building in my mind to keep him out. It was so sudden, so passionate and so urgent that I felt myself moan. I placed one hand on his stomach and the other over his hand at the side of my face. He stopped kissing me and brushed my face with his thumb.  
“You mean everything to me, you frustrating woman” He said, smiling. I couldn’t help but smile back.  
“Can’t you see, that is why I’m being an ‘asshat’ as you put it? I am protecting that which I care about.”  
I felt a stab of embarrassment. He had heard what I told Dutch.  
“Um…Sorry, I didn’t mean to call you that. I didn’t know you could hear it. All women talk, to stop them from going crazy. Well we’re all a bit crazy I suppose. You know that, you’ve been around long enough. She’s my friend so I told her. She’s the only person that knows though. I guess I just needed to tell someone. That was the only bad thing I said though, I mean, you know, you heard…right?” He stepped back slightly and placed his index finger over my lips to silence me, my hands dropped to my lap.  
“Thanks, I was about to deliver another-”  
“Long speech?” He asked. I nodded all too aware that my face was growing hot.  
“I heard it all. But I am flattered by the compliments” He said, tapping his stomach. I was mortified. Oh god. There it was, the deliberate attempt to embarrass me. Yep, he _was_ an asshat after all.  
He kissed my hand and went to leave the room, glancing back at me for a few seconds before vanishing into the hallway.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with another one. I love to read your comments so keep em coming. What do you want to happen?!

Since that day at the airport, I’d made an effort to spend more time with Fleur, to get to know her better and to get her out of that basement more. We frequently went for walks around the hotel, the little Strigoi crawling along beside me and awaiting my commands. She literally did everything I asked of her and she never attacked me, even when I fell asleep in the lobby for an hour and awoke only to find that she was crouched on a chair across the vast room, waiting for me to wake up. Fleur had been dangerous to everyone but me in the beginning, but as time had passed she had started to ignore the others and would not touch them as long as I told her not to. They were still wary of her and Fet had been giving me a hard time about keeping her muzzle on, a request I had started to honor, if only to keep the peace. On two occasions, I had gone out scavenging with her, just the two of us and much to Quinlan’s annoyance. She proved to be a useful and loyal scavenging companion provided she was kept well fed. The Strigoi were still roaming the streets with no purpose and it was still extremely dangerous to leave the hotel. But with Fleur, I felt like I had the upper hand.  
It was 9pm and we had been rooting through a nearby tech store for Eph and Dutch. As we entered the hotel though the side door, I threw a large military bag across the shiny floor while I removed my coat. It skidded down the hall and bumped to a stop against the door at the end. Before we entered the building, I asked Fleur to sit still while I fastened her muzzle. She did as she was asked and we moved inside, closing the big, heavy door on the dark and freezing would outside.  
I picked up the bag and hauled the door open, standing aside for Fleur to pass through before me. Dutch was waiting in the lobby. She was sat on a couch chewing on her sweater sleeve. She shot up when she saw us.  
“You were gone for an hour, I was worried” She said, taking the bag from my hands.  
“We were fine, I think we found everything you need”  
“You should have let me go” She placed her hand on my arm  
“I told you, it’s easier for us, she can slip in anywhere and retrieve things without a single Strigoi knowing I’m there. I’m glad to help” I said, placing my hand over hers on my arm and giving it a gentle squeeze. Fleur was pacing about behind me before coming to a stop next to me. She looked up at Dutch with her vacant eyes.  
“Thank you, Fleur” Dutch said to her politely. Fleur’s head snapped to one side in acknowledgement.  
“How are things with Quinlan? I haven’t seen you two in the same room as far back as I can remember” She asked.  
I fiddled with the hem of my shirt while I thought of my response. I hadn’t actually seen Quinlan much recently. There had been a few stolen kisses in the hallway and elevator, but we had not had the chance to spend any time together due to Quinlan being so busy. He had been helping Setrakian decipher more of the Lumen and seemed to be growing more and more frustrated by the slow pace. Occasionally, I would see him glance over at me, I hoped that what I was seeing in his eyes was what I was feeling too. Longing.  
“OK I guess. I mean, I don’t really know what’s going on between us. It seems odd to call it a ‘relationship’, y’know?”  
“Yeah, I get that. Must be difficult not to get too attached” she hinted. I tilted my head to one side and sighed at her.  
“I know, I know” She said. “I’m just looking out for you. You and I both know that when he dies, you’ll be devastated”  
“Yes, I probably will. But better to have loved and lost…” I trailed off as I realized what I was saying.  
“Loved?” Dutch probed.  
“You know what I mean” I said, turning and walking to the basement before she could grill me on my slip of the tongue. 

On the Tenth floor, I swiped my key card and entered my room. I flicked on a table lamp and observed the dim light slowly grow brighter, illuminating my path to the bathroom. Once inside, I shed my clothes and began to fill the bathtub. Steam blanketing me in warmth and clouding the mirror. I wrapped a towel around myself while the tub filled up and dismantled the long braid in my hair, waves falling across my shoulder blades. Feeling a scratchy thirst in my throat, I looked for a glass to fill. I opened the bathroom door and crossed the living area to the tall side table where I picked up a large tumbler and hitched my towel up further. As I turned, my heart jumped into my throat and I screamed.  
Quinlan was stood in the middle of the room in his coat, equipped with his sword behind his back. His hands shot up and he showed me his palms.  
“Forgive me. I will leave” He said, turning and walking towards the door.  
I could hear my heartbeat hammering in my head, slowly calming and catching my breath with the realization that I was not in any danger.  
“Quinlan. Wait.” I called after him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder.  
“It’s OK…” I trailed off.  
He hesitated before slowly walking back to where he was originally standing, a sheepish look on his face. He was looking at the floor, but kept glancing up at me.  
“I apologize, I should have knocked” He said.  
“Yeah, you probably should have.” I smiled at him. Holding onto the top of my towel with one hand and gripping the glass with the other  
“I can come back later” He said, motioning to my towel.  
“No, it’s fine. I’ll just put some clothes on” I said, suddenly very aware I was naked under my thick, expensive, hotel dress.  
Quinlan slowly walked towards me, stopping in front of me. He lifted a hand and brushed my hair away from my face.  
“I have not seen you as much as I would have liked these past few days” He said, his voice smoothing its way through my head.  
“You missed me?” I grinned up at him.  
“Yes” He said quietly, his hands sliding around my waist. He kissed my forehead. I dropped the glass onto the carpet and draped my arms over his shoulders, being careful not to knock his sword, slowly stroking the back of his neck with my thumb and looking up into his eyes.  
“I’ve missed you too” I said. He broke away from me and shrugged his sword holster and coat off, leaving them on a chair behind him. He was wearing a slightly different shirt, still tight but with a lower neck, exposing more of his chest and the patterns on his neck. He stepped towards me, picked me up effortlessly, swept some magazines and unlit candles from the side table and placed me on its surface. Without hesitation, he kissed me deeply, a hand cradling the back of my neck while the other slowly felt its way from my collar bone, down and over my breasts, reaching the top of my leg over my towel. His breathing deepened and I felt him pull me closer to him. My legs either side of him. His hand felt the edge of my towel and he reached underneath, my skin igniting at his touch. His lips frantically kissed mine, occasionally wandering down my neck before moving back up again. My heart pounded and my mind raced. I had missed him, I had missed his touch, the way he kissed me and even his sounds, which were now morphing into a purr. His hand, still under my towel, caressed the side of my waist before moving across to my stomach. I felt myself flinch away from him involuntarily. Quinlan stopped kissing me and quickly removed his hand.  
“You are uncomfortable” He stated. Shame swept over me.  
“I’m sorry” I said, sighing and resting my forehead on his shoulder. I had tried to hard not to let my insecurities get in the way. But they already had. He wrapped me in his big arms and gently kissed the side of my face.  
“What is it?” he asked. I lifted my head and somehow managed to look at him, feeling as if my shame were etched on my face.  
“I-I don’t like being touched here” I said quietly, placing my hand on my stomach. He studied my face for a few moments.  
“Tell me why” He said.  
“I don’t know. I just…I don’t like it. I don’t like that part of me”  
“Because of your scar?” he asked. Referring to my incident with the metal shard at the factory.  
“I guess so. That, and I’ve just never been totally happy with certain parts of my body”  
He kissed me gently before moving back slightly so he could see all of me, perched on the table in nothing but a towel. I smiled shyly, momentarily looking down into my lap. I slid down off the table and stood in front of him.  
“It is not my intention to embarrass you. I am aware you aren’t comfortable with compliments” He said. “But you need to know that you are a very beautiful woman.”  
“I’m not…I-I’m not perfect” I stammered.  
“You do not need to be perfect to be Beautiful, Lana. Beauty is imperfections. When you are around, every inch of my body knows it. I had almost forgotten what it feels like to desire a woman as much as I desire you.”  
I looked up and him and took a deep breath. My face was burning as I looked down nervously at the carpet.  
“I don’t think I’ve ever met a man as handsome as you. As classy, as intelligent. I suppose I almost feel as though I am not worthy…” I chewed on my bottom lip. He laughed slightly before a grateful look took over his face.  
“It is I that is not worthy of you.” He said, brushing the side of my face with the back of his finger. “I will never force you to partake in that which you are not comfortable with.”  
I nodded and ran my fingers down his muscled arm. “You might need to give me a little…encouragement” I said.  
“Yes, in the meantime, I will refrain from letting my imagination run wild because you are stood before me in nothing but that towel”  
I giggled and walked into the doorway of the bathroom. Stopping and turning to glance at him, I realized that he did something to me. He made me weak and I couldn’t get enough of him.  
“Do you want to stay a while?” I asked.  
“Yes, I do” He said. 

 

After emptying the bathtub and taking the quickest shower known to man, I sauntered back into the room in my towel and approached the drawers. Quinlan was sat in the big chair in the corner, watching me. A book in one hand, his thumb serving as a bookmark. His eyes followed my movements along the top of the pages. I pulled out some clothes from a drawer and headed back to the bathroom to change. Quinlan’s eyes never left me.  
I put on my white pajama shorts and black T-Shirt and wiped the mirror, my reflection slowly reappearing in the steamy room. I towel dried my hair and let it hang around my shoulders. Leaning on the sink, I studied my face. I looked older than I was, months of running from violent creatures taking its toll. I had made some attempt to keep myself looking half decent. I looked after my eyebrows and skin, conditioned and brushed my hair and made sure I always flossed and brushed my teeth. Yet I still looked older than my years. How Quinlan saw me as beautiful was a mystery to me. I sighed and left the room.  
Quinlan looked over his book at me again.  
“Dracula. That’s ironic” I nodded towards the book he was holding.  
“I have read it many times. I find the modern take on the Vampire somewhat…insulting” He answered, closing the book and placing it on the table next to him. He watched as I sat on the edge of my bed, facing him.  
“Is there any progress with the Lumen?” I asked. He shook his head.  
“It’s frustratingly slow. The Professor is convinced it’s going to provide us with detailed instructions. It does not hold the answer, it holds clues” He said, settling back in his chair. I tucked my legs up underneath me on the bed.  
“But I wish to discuss something else…Tell me about Lana” He said. His demand taking me completely by surprise. I had no idea what to say. I had always maintained that one of the hardest thing to do is talk about myself. This was the main reason for my long outbursts. I felt if I got a ton of information out all at once, I wouldn’t have to keep talking about myself.  
“Uh…I was born in -”  
“I’m not interested in your past. I’m interested in what makes you tick, what makes you angry, what keeps you sane. Tell me those things. You have my undivided attention”  
I pulled a pillow towards me and lay down facing the ceiling, I inhaled deeply.  
“What makes me tick? I used to think it was being left alone, being able to shrink into the shadows, be invisible and do what I want when I wanted. Since all this, I know it’s being challenged. I thrive on pushing myself to be better, to learn, to face my fears and make a difference. Reading, Music and Movies keep me sane. I used to have a huge horror movie collection. I knew all the classics.” I smiled while remembering dark, cold nights tucked up in blankets on my couch watching Nosferatu and stuffing my face with Pop Tarts.  
“What angers you?” Quinlan asked.  
“Everything” As soon as the word left my mouth I regretted it. How was I going to explain this one? “Humans make me angry. We are an arrogant and destructive species, hell bent on hurting each other. Sometimes, I’m not sure we are worth saving. Maybe if we weren’t here, the world could be as it was meant to be. Some people on this planet are just awful and I judge everyone before they have a chance to prove me wrong. I’ve never told anyone that before, I wouldn’t want them to be offended, or think I’d lost my mind”  
“To judge others is human. To keep your opinion about others to yourself is having class. However, I do agree.” He said, standing and approaching the bed. I watched him climb up beside me, he lay on his side, facing me, his body propped up on his elbow. “Civility is an illusion. Savagery is the default state of humanity. Some... are worth saving though” He kissed my shoulder lightly. I smiled at him and slid a hand around his neck, gently pulling his face towards mine. I kissed him softly and felt him move closer to me.  
“I would like more of these clandestine meetings of ours” He whispered. For once, I was totally relaxed in his presence. I was beginning to see that even though he knew of my faults, my darkness, he saw them as part of me and that was OK.  
“Feeling you up in the elevator and the hallways is kind of exciting” I giggled, biting my thumbnail. He smiled and shifted position, moving his arm underneath me and bringing me closer. I rested my head on his chest and placed my hand on his firm stomach. His Strigoi noises humming and clicking me to sleep as I lay in his arms. The safest I’d felt in a long time.

It was the most restful sleep. I woke up in the same position I’d fallen asleep in, except my head was on a pillow, and not Quinlan. He was nowhere to be seen. Rain lashed against the window and wind howled around the building like a huge wolf, clawing to get in. The drapes were still open but the sky outside was dark, a gray filter expanding over the horizon, making the room dark and shadowy. I pulled the sheets up around me, covering my shoulders, the room was freezing. Looking around, I noticed Quinlan’s coat and sword still on the chair where he left them.  
The door clicked open and he entered the room, holding a mug. I half sat up, holding the sheets over my shoulders to stop the biting cold from reaching me.  
“Where did you go?” I asked  
“It had been some time since I’d fed. It was becoming dangerous for me to stay with you. So I went to the kitchen”  
His admission took me by surprise when it probably shouldn’t have. I appreciated his honesty and realized that I may have to get used to this situation.  
“You drink coffee now?” I said, looking at the hotel branded mug in his hand. He smiled.  
“No, this is for you.” He corrected as he placed it on the night stand. “You are cold” He observed, changing the settings on the thermostat on the wall behind him. The wind and rain still stubborn and distracting.  
“Thank you” I said, reaching my arm over the sheets, towards him. He took my hand and leaned towards me, kissing my forehead.  
“I have to leave” he whispered “I have work to do with the professor.” Standing up, he made his way to the chair that held his sword and coat, he picked them up and paused to look at me for a second. I raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to say something. He didn’t. His silence saying everything. He wanted to say something to me, but was holding it back. I knew this, because I felt the same. 

Later on in the day, I was walking down the stairs to the basement on my way to see Fleur, when I heard voices at the bottom. Not just voices, my name. I stopped and gripped the handrail, lowering myself to sit on a step. I held my breath and listened as hard as I could.  
“I understand you are protecting your friend, but I can assure you, this is not a game to me. I do not have any intentions to hurt her” Quinlan’s voice.  
“I was rooting for you guys. I even encouraged her. But maybe I was wrong do to that…you’re going to die. If you succeed you’ll die and if you don’t, we all will” Dutch.  
“One can only hope that is not true”  
A long pause. Someone sighed, it sounded like Dutch. There’s pacing.  
“You realize she’s falling in love with you, right?”  
I couldn't believe that someone had finally said it and it wasn’t even me. Dutch was speaking for me. She knew the truth without me having to tell her. Maybe it was as obvious to Quinlan as it was to her.  
“Oh my god” She gasped. “You love her. You’re in love with her… and she’s in love with you and it’s like a goddamn tragedy because she looks at you - she looks at you and see’s the sun and you look at her and see the stars and you both think the other is just looking at the ground”  
Silence. I almost willed my heart to stop beating so I could hear Quinlan’s response.  
“Maybe it should stay this way, Quinlan.” Dutch continued. “Because once you’re gone, her sun will extinguish and she will live her life in darkness”  
Still more silence. He wasn’t responding to her. I gripped the edge of the step I was sat on. Tears forming in my eyes. He wasn’t answering her, because he thought she was right. My sun would extinguish. But I would rather have had a sun at some point, than to live never having known what brightness it can bring. I heard footsteps coming towards me. I sprang up and ran back up the stairs, pushing open the doors at the top and briefly hiding in a supplies cupboard until the footsteps passed me. 

In the basement, Dutch was hunched over some sort of machine she had made. Fiddling with tools and muttering to herself. When I approached, she looked up and smiled.  
“Hey, you get your coffee this morning?”  
I gave her a confused look.  
“You think Quinlan knows how to make exceptional coffee like that?” She laughed, her attention going back to her task.  
“I didn’t know you made it” I said.  
“We ran into each other in the kitchen. I’d been working on this all night and needed caffeine. He uh- he mentioned he was with you”  
I knew what she was doing, digging. I opened Fleur’s cage. She crept towards the open door and crouched before me, placing a hand on my boot. I stroked her soft, balding head.  
“Hi little one” I said.  
“So what were you guys doing?” Dutch asked over her shoulder.  
“Well there was no fucking if that’s what you want to know” I spat. Feeling anger rise in my chest. Dutch spun around on her stool, a shocked expression etched on her face.  
“Lana-”  
“Look, I appreciate you looking out for me. I know you care and in this world at the moment, we all need to do more of that. But please, leave it, Dutch. I know what I’m doing. Yes, Quinlan might die but right now, we are living in the present and enjoying it while it lasts. We’ve all lost people. We’ve lost family, friends, Quinlan has probably lost more than any of us when you consider that he’s been around for two thousand years. So please, please let us have this and stop trying to destroy what we both have known was inevitable from the day he saved my life at the factory”  
She looked at the floor, fiddling with the sleeves of her sweater. There was a heavy silence, disturbed only by Fleur’s Stinger growling. Dutch stood up and walked towards me, raising her hands and pulling me into an embrace. She had the faint aroma of cigarettes and coffee. Fleur backed away, observing us from a corner.  
“I’m sorry” She said over my shoulder. “You’re my person, y’know?” She pulled back and looked into my face. Her dark eyeliner smudged. ”You’ve been my person since this all began. I guess it’s just hard to know that one day soon, I’ll have to help you pick up the pieces”  
I smiled at her. “Thank you for still being willing to help me do that”. She squeezed my hand and went back to her seat. 

I sat on a plastic chair and played ball with Fleur for a while, Dutch watched over us, occasionally looking up from her work to giggle at the scene before her. Marley, who was now just a mass of bones and organs, had been disassembled by Eph in an attempt to further understand how the Strigoi communicate. His spinal column sat on a nearby table. Everything else was being kept in jars.  
The door opened and Eph walked in carrying a paper bag in one hand and a bottle in the other.  
“Ah, just the girls I wanted to see. I thought I might find you here” He said, noticing me.  
“Here” He flung the bag in my direction, Fleur jumped up and caught it, bringing it to me and placing it on my lap.  
“What’s this?” I asked. He put the bottle on the workbench next to Dutch. She picked it up, examined the label and took a large gulp.  
“A peace offering” He said, motioning with his hand for me to open it. I unraveled the rolled up top of the bag and reached inside. I felt soft fabric. I pulled it out of the bag, noticing that there was in fact two items inside. I smiled as I held up the small, black leggings and Minnie Mouse T-Shirt.  
“You got her new clothes” I stated quietly.  
“Yeah. Well, she did a great job at the airport that day. I’m sorry I was such an ass”  
I looked down at Fleur who was tilting her head at her gift.  
“These are for you” I said to her.  
“I found them in lost property. I figured they would be more practical than a dress. Plus she’s kinda gnarly with all that crusty blood on her” Eph said. I stood and walked to him, flinging my arms around his shoulders. “Thank you”  
I ushered Fleur back into her cage, kneeled in front of her and hoisted her dress over her head.  
“Arms up” I said and she did as she was told. Her small, thin frame was covered in gray, almost white, scarred skin. Any trace of her gender had been erased during her transition from human to Strigoi. All that was left was a smooth bump. I awkwardly slid the leggings over her bony legs, pulled them up and put her T-shirt on. It was an amusing sight, watching her examine the clothing. She couldn’t see it, but she was using her senses of smell, hearing and touch to figure out what was going on.  
“Say thank you to Eph” I said. She paused for a second, scuttled out of her cage, across the basement floor and stopped by Eph’s feet. She reached a tiny hand up and touched his fingers at his side. He looked concerned.  
“It’s OK, Eph. She won’t hurt you” I said. He lowered his hand and she took hold of it, squeezing it gently before letting it go and racing back to me.  
From Fleur’s cage, I saw Eph sit next to Dutch and take a drink from the bottle.  
“I admit it now. She’s nothing like the others” I heard him say as he placed the bottle back down between them, his hand touching hers. She looked down at it but did not move. As I stood and watched, Dutch slowly looked from their hands up at Eph. Neither said a word but what I was seeing was speaking volumes.  
“See you later Fleur!” I said loudly, snapping them both out of their trance. I wasn’t entirely sure what I’d seen here, but what I did know is that it wasn’t something new to either of them. What I was to do with the information, I hadn’t yet figured out. 

In the tenth floor bar, Quinlan and the Professor were yet again discussing the Lumen. Quinlan’s face lit up when I walked in.  
“Lana” he said.  
“Hi” I grinned.  
“Hi Professor” I said to Setrakian.  
“Hmm?” he said, not even looking up from the pages in front of him. I knew that until he finally looked up, he would have no idea I was here.  
I sat on the couch next to Quinlan. He was leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees with a stack of paperwork between his hands. He looked over his shoulder and smirked at me as I sat down. On the table, were pages of undecipherable text and strange drawings. I leaned forwards and plucked one from the pile. What stared back at me was a box. A wooden box with intricate carvings and two doors. It looked like one of those New Age shop specials. I scoffed.  
“Looks like a Spirit Box” I said. Quinlan looked over his shoulder again.  
“Excuse me?” He asked. I held up the page for him to see.  
“A spirit box. Ghost Hunters use them. Or a Dybbuk box”  
“Dybbuk Box?” he repeated.  
“Yeah, it’s Hebrew. In the original story, it was a wine cabinet which is said to be haunted by a Dybbuk. A restless, usually malicious, spirit believed to be able to haunt and even possess the living. Keep the box closed, the nasty stays inside. Open it and you cause chaos. It’s a pretty creepy concept. It’s been the subject of films, albeit adapted quite a bit.”  
I looked past Quinlan to see the Professor gaping at me, mouth open. An expression that Quinlan was now copying.  
“What?” I said. Feeling self-conscious and like I’d made a fool out of myself by even opening my mouth. We weren’t dealing with ghosts here, Lana. Quinlan slowly took the paper from my hand and stared down at it.  
“Professor. I think Lana may be onto something here” Setrakian rose from his seat and ambled over to us.  
“Mr. Quinlan.” He said. Quinlan also stood.  
“I believe I may know where we can get our very own Dybbuk box. This coupled with Dutch and Eph’s interruption of The Masters voice may be our ticket to Success” Setrakian said, leaning on his cane.  
“Woah, can someone please tell me what’s going on?” I said, peering up at them both from the sofa.  
Setrakian thought for a second “Maybe the key to defeating the Master is not killing him…”  
“…its containment” Said Quinlan, finishing the professors sentence. “You may have just given us a reasonable plan with which to stop him. But we need to do figure out what form he has taken and find him”  
I stood up nervously. Surely they weren’t serious. I was just making an observation. I didn’t want this kind of responsibility. If it failed, I didn’t want to be the one that put the idea in people’s heads. Quinlan took my hand.  
“Maybe your genius reaches beyond stealing candy bars from stores”  
The Professor’s eyes briefly lowered to Quinlan’s hand holding mine. I took my hand away and stuffed it in my jeans pocket. A flicker of disappointment flashed across Quinlan’s face.  
“If we only knew where he was. We could line the box with Silver” Setrakian said. “I know where we can get plenty of it. We must prepare anyway. I need to find Mr. Fet at once” He thumped his way out of the room with his cane.  
Quinlan stood in silence. I walked to the bar, opened the cupboards beneath the counter top and looked for something resembling wine. My search heralded no results, so I rounded the bar and sat on a bar stool.  
“I don’t want to be responsible for this if it fails” I said, staring into my lap. I hadn’t even heard Quinlan move, but he was suddenly right in front of me.  
“You are not executing it, we are. You must realize, you have given us what is the first feasible idea we have had in a long time.”  
“I heard what Dutch said to you in the basement stairway” I said. I really wished I could just stop from blurting out information I really should think about more.  
“Ah…” He said  
“It’s not going to happen again. I asked her to back off. She gets it, at least she does now”  
“It’s quite alright. She cares about you”  
“Why didn’t you respond to her?” I asked, finally looking up into his eyes.  
“It is my belief that such words should only be said to the person it concerns. Not anyone else”  
“So you have got a response?”  
“Yes”  
I held my hand up to stop him from saying anything else. “I’m going back to my room. I need to think about all of this before anything else happens.” I jumped off the bar stool and practically ran to my room. My head spinning. Once inside, I spent at least 40 minutes in the shower, sat on the bottom of the shower tray, hugging my legs. It’s amazing how little I had to worry about before all of this, when I used to think my life was difficult. It really wasn’t. I had never been in love before, not real love. Now, I was teetering on the edge of falling hard for a half human, there was a plague taking over the world and in a few weeks or days, we could all be dead. When my legs started to go numb, I got up and stepped out of the shower. Pulling on some black underwear before brushing my wet hair. I left the bathroom, anger taking over as I saw Quinlan in my room again, standing bolt upright in his tight shirt.  
“Are you kidding me?! Can’t I just get some time alone without you wandering in here all the time? I told you before, knock!”  
Quinlan said nothing. He stood there looking at me. Somehow I had forgotten that I was only wearing underwear. His stare was so intense I could feel his eyes all over my body. I felt a slight pang of fear. What was he doing?  
“Quin-“  
“The first time I kissed you I became hopelessly addicted to you.” He interrupted  
“I will tell you what I feel, but right now we have a more pressing matter to deal with"  
"We do?" I asked  
"Yes. Now I want to hear that gasp”  
My mouth hung open as i tried to speak. for a few seconds nothing came out.  
“G-gasp?” I finally whispered. He approached me slowly, a smirk spreading across his face.  
“The gasp that you will make on the first thrust.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2018 is a good one for you all and all your dreams come true!_
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> _Apologies for the late update. Finding the time to write is becoming increasingly difficult. Plus, I got a bit of writers block for a while._  
>  _Anyway, Here's our protagonist again in all her mixed up glory. ___  
>  _As always, let me know if you're reading, what your fave bits are and anything you want to happen, I'm always open to suggestions!_

I wasn’t 100% ready. I was never going to be 100% ready. It was also never going to be 100% the right time. But that’s the point, isn’t it? You choose the person because they make everything perfect, they make every moment the right time and they make you realize; you should just do this, because you want to.  
I stood completely still, waiting for him to say something. But he didn’t. He just smirked at me. I swallowed hard and blinked at him. Taking a deep breath, I stepped closer to him. His head twitched, accompanied by a loud growl, a sound I was no longer afraid of. I had almost come to know it as a sound of approval. Before either of us could do anything else, there was a pounding on the door.  
“Lana?” A muffled voice called through the closed door. My eyes darted around the room for something to cover myself up with. I grabbed a robe from the chair.  
“Lana?”  
I shot Quinlan a warning look over my shoulder as I approached the beckoning voice. He made sure to hide around the corner before I opened the door.  
Fet was leaning on the door frame looking sheepish.  
“Fet, what’s wrong?” I asked.  
“I wanted to talk to you about somethin'…”  
“Sure, about what?” I asked  
“Uh…It’s Dutch. She-she’s been spending a lot of time with Eph in the basement…”  
My mind was not focused. None of the words Fet had said made any sense for a few seconds. So my response was not what he wanted. It was non-existent. I looked at him blankly.  
“Look, I can see you’re busy…” He said, gesturing to my white bath robe. His face changed when his attention was caught by something behind me.  
“You got someone in there with you?”  
I held my breath while my mind raced for something to say. Quinlan was out of sight. I knew he was. At least, I thought he was. I spun around and looked confused, as if surprised by Fet’s question. Quinlan stepped out from around the corner and my heart sank.  
“Mr. Fet” he said politely.  
I looked back at Fet. His brow furrowed, a suspicious look creeping across his face. I prayed that Quinlan had a plan to get us out of this predicament. I knew Fet was going to ask what he was doing in my room.  
“Quinlan” He said before leaning in closer to me.  
“What’s he doing here?” He asked me, nodding in Quinlan’s direction.  
“Uh…” I started.  
“I came to express my thanks to Lana.” Quinlan said. Fet gently moved me aside and half stepped into the room.  
“Oh yeah, whatcha thankin’ her for?” He demanded. I sensed the agitation in his voice.  
“She let me borrow this” Quinlan answered calmly, holding up my copy of Dracula. Fet thought for a moment, studying Quinlan’s face before looking at me.  
“This true?”  
I nodded.  
He looked back at Quinlan. “And you had to come all the way into her room just to thank her?”  
“Fet” I said “I invited him in. We were just talking. It’s fine”  
He ushered me out into the hall, turning his back on Quinlan.  
“You shouldn’t be alone in your room with him.” He whispered. His hand was clamped around my arm. I sighed and rolled my eyes.  
“Fet, drop it. We can trust him”  
“Can we?” He argued “He stole the goddamn Lumen and could have got us all killed”  
“Not this again. You always seen to forget that he’s half human, he makes mistakes just like us.”  
He stood upright and let go of my arm, smoothing his beard.  
“Meet me in the bar in ten minutes and we’ll talk, OK?” I said. He nodded and started off down the hall. I quickly stepped back into my room and closed the door, leaning on the back of it for a second. Quinlan smiled at me.  
“Almost caught red handed” He grinned.  
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I said disapprovingly and raising an eyebrow at him.  
“More than you know” He said, slapping the book back on the table next to him. He approached me and brushed some strands of hair from my face.  
“I want you to moan.” He said. I felt my heart quicken and my body tingle. He was doing it again, trying to seduce me. It was working. His lips met my cheek and he gradually kissed down to my neck and whispered into my ear;  
“I want you to moan…I want you to gasp in my ear. Like you’re trying to hide the sound. Like you’re trying to smother it, but I still hear it. I want your fingernails to dig into my skin and your lips to move harder, faster, deeper against mine. I want your eyes to roll back into your head and your body to push against mine, until we’re sticking to each other’s skin. I want to feel the heat radiating from you. Hear the blood rushing through your veins. I want to feel your muscles tighten and I want you to beg and throw your head back, shuddering for breath. I want your chest to be bare so we can be skin on skin, flesh on flesh. I want your legs wrapped around me. I want to take you like it’s the first and last time, every time.”  
With that, he planted a rather conservative kiss on my forehead and left the room, closing the door quietly.  
I realized I’d been holding my breath. I released it in a huge sigh and had to put my hand against the wall to steady myself. He had barely touched me yet I felt like I’d had the most intimate moment of my life. He had wound me up, turned me on and then left me. 

I padded into the bar in a pair of loose fitting black pants and a white tank top. Fet was sat at the bar with his back to me, nursing what appeared to be a glass of whiskey.  
“Where the hell did you find that? I thought Eph drank all the alcohol?” I asked as I sat next to him.  
“Man’s gotta look after his own needs these days. Aint no relying on anyone else” He said, pulling a bottle from inside his jacket. “Get yourself a glass”  
I rounded the bar, picked up a glass from a shelf below and placed it on the top. Fet filled it for me.  
“Talk to me” I said, leaning on the bar opposite him. He sat for a few moments and said nothing. I decided to let him think, he would speak when he was ready. I swished the golden liquid round in my glass and took a sip. My throat burned and I winced as I swallowed but it was good. It was so good. A warm sensation spread inside my stomach and I smiled to myself.  
“She warned me” Fet said quietly into his drink. “She warned me that she had a thing for intense relationships. She warned me off of her”  
“That doesn’t mean anything, Fet. She wanted to be with you so she was.”  
“I always used to think that the phrase ‘we grew apart’ was bullshit, y’know? But that’s what happened. That, or she’s seen something else that is more appealing to her. She said anything to you?” He said.  
The image of Dutch and Eph sat next to each other, hands touching flashed through my mind.  
“No, sorry” I answered.  
“She won’t let me touch her. We’re not the same. It’s like there was nothing there to begin with, for her anyway” He took a large gulp of whiskey.  
Feeling the need to be more useful, I tried to come up with something philosophical and meaningful.  
“Sometimes things don’t have to be ‘over’ or a ‘breakup’. Sometimes they can just ‘change’ and it’s no one’s fault. Everyone wants progress but no one wants change. But to progress, things have to change. In a way, it’s the most natural thing, even though it may be painful.”  
He looked at me and half smiled.  
“Or, she’s a bitch and you deserve better. Plenty more fish in the sea. Blah blah. You choose which comment to take because I got nothin’ else” I said. I was relieved when I saw him laugh. He held his glass up.  
“To change” He said.  
I clinked my glass on his. “To change”.

It was beginning to get dark. I had made everyone dinner and the group had gathered in the Lobby. Taking advantage of the vast space to present to each other their plans and findings of research. The floor was scattered with paperwork, diagrams, drawings and pieces of strange looking equipment from the basement. Eph and Dutch excitedly buzzed around the room, testing equipment and mumbling to one another. I hoped that Fet couldn’t see the chemistry that I was witnessing. But he was sat on a couch, arms crossed, watching them both. I was sat on the other side of the room, but soon got up and relocated next to him.  
“You’re going to drive yourself crazy” I said, nudging his arm. He gave me a knowing look and went back to glaring at Eph and Dutch.  
Quinlan and the professor were sat opposite Fet and I, on a couch next to one another, the professor leaning on his cane. They were both immersed in conversation, holding photocopies of the Lumen’s pages.  
An almighty crash shocked all of us as one of the huge windows in the front door of the building shattered, sending shards of glass showering down on top of us. Fet threw his arms over me and bundled me to the floor, grabbing me and shoving me under the couch. I felt fear rise in my chest and my heart started to hammer. What the hell was that? Once it stopped raining glass, Fet slowly lifted his head, keeping his grip firmly on one of my arms. I started to panic when I heard the gasps of everyone else, my breathing became rapid.  
“Stay put, you hear me?” Fet Whispered. He released my arm but pushed me further under the furniture before standing up. With fet out of the way, I could see that everyone else had also stood up and were scrambling to find weapons. I shuffled round in my spot to look in the direction of the window and grew frustrated when I could see nothing. I needed to see what was happening, so I pulled myself out from under the couch just in time to see Quinlan’s head snap round and his eyes scan the room before settling on me. I realized my mouth was wide open and fear was crawling around inside my skin. He took his attention back to the shattered doorway before collecting his sword from the couch. A well-dressed man with an upright posture emerged and neatly stepped over the door frame and into the room. Glass crackled under his highly polished shoes. A perverted smile on his face.  
Quinlan moved his arms out by his sides, as if to usher everyone backwards, away from the door and the intruder, his eyes never left the man who still stood there. Smiling.  
Setrakian, who was stood just behind Quinlan, unsheathed his silver sword from his cane, holding it in front of him.  
“A230385! There’s no need to lay down the welcome mat” He leaned slightly to the side, peering around Quinlan at The professor before turning his attention back to the Half-Breed in front of him.  
“Ah, and the Born. What a pleasant surprise. We must stop running into each other like this” The man spoke with a slight European accent. I was starting to connect the dots, flashbacks of Fet referring to ‘The Nazi Butler’ serving as clues to the identity of the ominous figure in front of us.  
“Must he always send you to do his dirty work?” Quinlan replied, his own accent sounding just as polite in comparison. He stood bolt upright, not intimidated in the slightest. I felt Fet step back in an attempt to move me towards the stairs. I looked over at Dutch, who was also being pushed back by Eph.  
“You made a mistake coming here” Setrakian snapped.  
“Sorry to ruin your little, soiree.” The Intruder quipped, moving around our group, towards Fet and I. His gaze fell across the paperwork on the table and then on the machines Dutch and Eph were working on and I knew he was taking in as much information from the paperwork as possible.  
“You see, I like to be…prepared. To know what I am dealing with” He said, passing Fet, who was holding a pistol in his face. He stopped and glared at me.  
“Well…hello. I don’t believe we have met.” He grinned. I held my breath. I had never met this man, but I knew by everyone else's reactions that I should be nowhere near him.  
“Eichorst! Do not touch her!” Quinlan bellowed, taking me by surprise. His voice louder than I had ever heard before. Then I realized, I did know who this man was. Thomas Eichorst. The Master’s right hand man and faithful, loyal servant. He was as dangerous as his suit was crisp. And he was looking at me like he was going to make me into his lunch. In the blink of an eye, Fet was doubled over on the floor and I had been spun around and placed in an extremely tight grip. Eichorst had his hand around my throat, gripping my windpipe. I heard Quinlan yell “No” as my feet were lifted off the floor. Through the blurry haze of panicked tears, I could see Dutch rush towards me, only to be stopped by Eph. I could barely breathe, my chest felt like it was going to explode. Quinlan stepped into my view in front of Dutch and Eph. His face stony and furious, his eyes narrowed and his sword gripped tightly in his hand.  
“Let… her… go” He said sternly.  
“When will you admit you have failed. You are no match for me” Eichorst’s voice had changed into a deep, gravelly whisper. His breath tickled my cheek as he spoke. My skin crawled when he pushed his face into my neck and inhaled deeply. My feet tickled the floor enough to allow me to balance on my toes but still I spluttered and gasped.  
“The Master” I heard Setrakian gasp “He’s found another form”  
Eph and Dutch had previously explained to me that the Master controls the Strigoi almost remotely, and is able to see through any of their eyes. Any of them except the likes of Fleur, who is blind. The Voice I was hearing wasn’t Eichorst, It was The Master.  
“If you so much as scratch her…” Quinlan warned loudly. I felt Eichorst’s head twitch to look at Quinlan, and then a sinister, mocking laugh.  
“Oh, this is precious” He mocked.  
“One would have thought you were smarter than to become fond of another human female. Have you not learned anything after the last one?”  
“You know nothing of what you speak” Quinlan spat, emphasizing the word ‘nothing’.There was a brief silence, broken only by the master’s guttural laugh. The grip on my throat was making me feel lightheaded and my vision was starting to fail. I could feel my eyes rolling back into my head.  
“Lana!” I heard Quinlan shout “Lana! Stay awake!”  
I managed to open my eyes long enough to see everyone exchanging worried glances.  
“Strange path you have followed, choosing to live your life in the shadows, among the humans, your prey.”  
“It is you that lives in the shadows with the rats, like the Vermin you are. You were wise not to come here tonight. Cowardly, but wise” Quinlan said as he stepped closer.  
“You are a fool” The master growled.  
“Understand this, until you confront me, you will never have the security you crave, no matter how many humans you enslave, no matter how many cities you hollow out. I shall never give up my pursuit of you”  
My consciousness was fading, I could barely hear anything anymore and my body was unable to pull in anymore oxygen. A loud bang was the last thing I heard.

I awoke some hours later in my bed. For a few seconds I struggled to figure out where I was, or who I even was. Before it all came rushing back, the searing pain in my neck reminding me. I groaned and slowly moved my head to the side. Quinlan was sat on a chair beside the bed, leaning over me.  
“Shh” He cooed “You’re OK, relax”. I felt him place his hand over mine. I lay completely still for a couple of minutes, gathering my thoughts and the courage to move so I could sit up. Eventually I moved and used my arms to pull myself into a sitting position. I looked at Quinlan. His expression changing from relief to sadness after I noticed his eyes move down to my neck.  
“Lana, I’m sorry” He whispered. I held his hand and tried to speak.  
“Y-you didn’t do this” I croaked, squeezing his hand. My throat felt like sandpaper.  
“This would never have happened to you if I…” He sighed and trailed off. I lifted and hand and lightly ran my fingers over my neck. Judging from the pain, it was remarkable I was even alive.  
“Where i-is every-everyone?” I asked.  
“I wouldn’t let them in. I had Dr Goodweather check you over, he said you needed to rest to recover. So I told the others that I would watch over you”  
I attempted a laugh. Nope, too painful. “I bet Fet loved that”  
“Yes, he was somewhat…concerned. It was nothing the sharp end of my sword couldn’t solve”  
I shot him a stern look.  
“OK, The Professor talked him around”  
“How am I still alive?” I asked.  
“He didn’t anticipate me being in possession of firearms as well as my sword. He dodged the bullets, of course. But it gave Fet time to grab you and pull you out of there.”  
I sighed “Shit. Is everyone else OK?”  
“Yes. They’re asking a lot of questions, so they’re fine”  
I raised an eyebrow. I knew exactly what he was alluding to.  
“Quinlan?” I gently pulled his hand towards me. He stood beside the bed.I noticed he was avoiding eye contact with me. He was very still for a few seconds. I wondered what was going through his head, he obviously felt guilty that I’d been hurt, but he was not the one to blame for this.  
“You should take these” He said, taking a bottle of painkillers from the nightstand and handing them to me.  
“You’ll feel better in a while. I’m afraid I have to leave you. You should get some more rest” he said. With that, he planted a kiss on my forehead and quickly walked to the door. He hesitated before leaving the room.  
“Lana, things have changed. I said I would tell you how I feel, but The Master knows who you are and where to find you now. My…connection to you puts you in great danger. I have to put your safety first. I hope you understand that”  
Then, he opened the door and left.  
After around two hours of me over analyzing absolutely everything that had happened, like the over-sensitive moron I was. I decided to get up and get my shit together. I glanced in the mirror as I walked past and had to do a double take. My eyes widened and I gasped. There was a huge, dark brown and purple, hand print around my neck that was deeply bruised and looked like it was the work of some kind of giant. The thing that really got me, was how pronounced and clear it was. A tear escaped my eye as I realized what a sorry state I looked. Pulling myself together, I took some painkillers, changed into some tight fitting jeans and a blue shirt with an open collar and left the room. 

In the Bar, Fet and Setrakian sat on the couch, while Eph and Dutch were at the bar. Fet had a workman’s belt on and was covered in sawdust. Setrakian looked up at me first and I saw his eyes widen.  
“You should not be out of bed!” He exclaimed as he stood up. Fet saw me next.  
“Shit” he said quietly.  
Eph and Dutch had their backs to me, but I saw Dutch look over her shoulder. She ran to me as soon as she realized who I was. The attention was making me feel like shrinking away back to my room.  
“Oh my god, are you OK?” She said, throwing her arms around me and squeezing me gently. Eph emerged behind her.  
“I’m fine, honestly.” I said.  
“Let me see?” Eph asked, moving my hair and putting a finger under my chin to tilt my head up.  
“It looks worse than it is” I assured him.  
“That may be, but that’s significant trauma. We need to keep an eye on that” He said, gently squeezing my shoulder. I nodded and waited expectantly for them all to go away and stop fussing over me. Eventually they did. All but Fet.  
He waited for everyone else to move before approaching me. He looked at me and said nothing, just slid his arm across my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze. The gesture was small, simple and looked like nothing. But it was exactly what I needed. He caught my eye as he moved away.  
“Thank you” I mouthed. Fet had fast become a kind of big brother figure to me and I cared about him as much as he cared about me. One thing I knew he wasn’t going to accept, was my relationship with Quinlan. I hoped it wouldn’t be the thing to break us.  
Quinlan Entered the room with a large, black bag and dumped it on the floor.  
“These are all our weapons, we must leave this building. The Master knows where we are now and he will come for…” He quickly looked at me and then away again.  
“…He will come for us”  
“Let him!” Eph exclaimed “Is that not what we want?”  
“Doctor, we have not yet formulated a solid plan. We need to buy some time”  
“Now you want to take your time?” Eph snapped, sitting down on the couch and shaking his head.  
Quinlan didn’t answer, instead he picked up the bag and looked at the others.  
“Pack your belongings, we will convene in the Lobby in the morning. I will go and find us somewhere safe to stay”  
With that, He left the room. 

Heraclitus, the Greek Philosopher, once said “There is nothing permanent, except change”. It is something almost all of us are afraid of in some way or another, yet it is the thing that is the one constant in everyone’s lives. Change can be scary but without it, we can’t allow anything to evolve, or to improve. As a onetime believer in fate, I was always comfortable with the need to adapt and overcome. Out with the old, in with the new. Onto new pastures, where hopefully, the grass is greener and all the other good cliché's! While others complained about change, I actually welcomed it.  
After running around my room in a blind panic all morning trying to pack everything, I took a moment to stand in the room and be still, to digest the memories I’d made here. I looked at the bed, where I had fallen asleep on Quinlan’s chest, the side table that he placed me on after sweeping me off my feet wearing nothing but a towel. The spot on the carpet where I stood and listened as he whispered everything he wanted to do to me. The patched up hole in the wall that was only there because he was trying to fight what he felt. While our world changes around us, while we face adversity, experience joy, pain and change. Our memories always remain the same. They don’t change, when everything else does. Some memories are unimaginable, in vivid technicolor and evoke profound emotions. It was this I didn’t want to lose and it was the reason why I decided to store my bag in the elevator and visit the 8th floor executive lounge before meeting everyone else. 

The large room was completely silent. The remnants of candles were evident on some of the tables. Hard, wax pools were all that was left. I walked around the couches, running my fingers along the thick material. Remembering the night Quinlan first kissed me. I smiled as I stood over the couch where it had happened. I could almost feel his hand on my thigh and his lips on mine all over again. A connection was made in this room, a connection between to unlikely souls. One Half Breed Strigoi and one Human. Both as broken as one another. Whatever happened from now on, I had the memories that happened here and in the rest of the hotel, memories with Quinlan. Once he was gone, they would be like gold dust to me.  
“What brings you here?” Said a voice from behind me. That velvety British accent. I turned in the direction of the voice. Quinlan was stood in the doorway. His long coat and sword on.  
“Just…Relishing a memory” I answered. He slowly walked into the room towards me, stopping a couple of feet away. “You?”  
“The same” He said quietly a faint smile flickered across his face. His piercing white eyes baring into my soul. Suddenly aware of the urge to express how I felt, it occurred to me that after my encounter with The Master, the chances of Quinlan ever disclosing his feelings were next to nothing.  
“I need to say something to you. I don’t want an answer, it’s more of a rhetorical thing…OK?” I said nervously. Unsure myself of exactly what was going to come out of my mouth.  
“When I first met you, I was afraid of you. I thought you were going to eat me but something, something pulled me towards you, even though I was afraid. When I started to feel something for you, I was afraid of that, too. I didn’t understand it. Why Now? Why you? Why me? When I wanted to kiss you, I was afraid to do it. I wanted to so many times, but convinced myself that you would stop me. When you kissed me, here, in this room, I was- I was… afraid to love you. Now…”  
I hesitated and his eyes locked with mine.  
“…Now I love you, I am afraid to lose you. I know that I will. Either you will die or we all will. My life has been better with you in it. Even through all the shit, all the violence, all the death, there has been this light for me, and that light is you and I don’t want you to ever forget that”  
My confession had lifted a weight from my shoulders, but had not made anything any easier. I was going to lose him, one way or another and probably very soon.  
“I uh, I just wanted you to know” I finished. He inhaled and his eyes left mine and fell to the floor, as if he were collecting his thoughts. I walked past him, making my way to the exit.  
“Lana” Quinlan said quietly behind me. I looked over my shoulder. His face was etched with sadness.  
“I have never truly been afraid of anything. Until I was forced to watch The Master hold you in his grip and almost suffocate you. I cannot allow him to see any weakness in me or my whole life’s mission will have been for nothing and I cannot face the thought of you being killed because of me.”  
I nodded and played with my shirt sleeves. I knew what he was saying, without him having to say it. I knew he loved me. That’s why he wasn’t going to tell me. It was no longer safe for him to say it and he probably never would.  
“I cannot let him find you again. He knows I feel something for you and he will exploit it.”  
He paused, studying my face.  
“I’m sorry I cannot give you what you need. I think the safest option is for us to stay as two people that are fighting for the same cause, nothing more.”  
The bottom dropped out of my world. My stomach felt heavy and my eyes filled with tears. I had anticipated this, I just didn’t want to admit it to myself. I knew he was doing this to protect me, rather than it being what he really wanted, but that didn’t make it any easier. Here we had two people that wanted each other so much, but knew it could never be.  
“I don’t want this” I sniffed.  
“I do not want this either. But there is no other way” He said. “I’m sorry, Lana”  
I sank onto one of the couches as I watched him walk away. I still had my memories, our memories. But loving someone that I couldn’t have was going to hurt. It was going to hurt more than anything I’d experienced before. 

In the Lobby, Everyone was gathered with their bags and boxes. Dutch had retrieved Fleur from the basement for me, I was surprised at her willingness to do so. Fleur seemed more receptive to her these days, which could only be a good thing. I settled on the bottom step of the huge staircase, away from immediate conversation. Quinlan emerged from the elevator, giving me a lingering look before approaching the group. He was focused and direct as he spoke.  
“I have found us a residence on the other side of Brooklyn. A house. It’s been cleared, the windows will need reinforcing and so will the doors, but it’s big enough for all of us to figure out our next moves. Let’s load up the vehicles”  
I stood and went to pick up my bag only for Dutch to get there before me.  
“Ah ah!” She said “You don’t want to be straining that pretty little neck of yours. Here, take her” She said, handing me Fleur’s leash.  
“You OK, Lana?” She asked, her eyes narrowing.  
“Yeah” I half smiled. “I’m just tired. It’s hard to sleep with this massive bruise” a thinly veiled lie. She gave me a suspicious look and decided against pressing for the truth. 

The silence of the journey was only broken by Quinlan giving Fet directions and the occasional growl from Fleur. The weather was still freezing, snow blanketed most of the city and being outside for more than a few minutes rendered my nose numb. The house Quinlan had cleared for us was beautiful. A symmetrical 1920’s colonial with a huge front porch and round sun room at the top corner of the building. White pillars framed the entrance. We hauled all of the luggage from the truck and entered the house. The Décor inside was tasteful but not cluttered, simple but effective. A white and gray living area, a large dining table in the Dining room. A huge kitchen, with an island and ample seating space. In the entrance hall Quinlan gathered us together.  
“There are five bedrooms. Enough for one each.” He said.  
“Um, there are six of us, including you” Dutch pointed out.  
“I have no need for sleep, I do not require a room” he said bluntly. Dutch’s eyebrows shot up.  
“O…K. First come, first served guys!” She laughed, grabbing a bag and running up the stair case. Fet, Eph and the Professor followed. Quinlan looked at me in the now empty hallway. I refused to make eye contact and chewed my bottom lip. I knew he wanted to say something, but there wasn’t a point in me listening. So I gently tugged on Fleur’s lead.  
“Let’s go find me a room” I said to her before picking up my bag and starting up the stairs. I briefly looked down into the hallway at Quinlan, who was now staring at the floor. He suddenly turned completely and walked to the door. He put his sunglasses on and pulled his hood up. The door clicked shut loudly. 

There was one room left upstairs. While it was smaller than the others, it still had enough room for a double bed, a plush chair in the corner and a double seater couch in front of the TV. Like the other rooms, there was an en-suite. The walls were covered in posters, quotes, photographs and small bits and pieces that obviously represented someone else’s memories. I gathered from what I was seeing that this room once belonged to a teenage girl. Most of her belongings were still here. Jewelry and make-up on the dresser, trophies for cheer leading and framed photographs on the shelves showing a pretty blonde with bright blue eyes. Another one lost to the outbreak. I left Fleur on a chair in the corner, dropped my bag on the bed and decided to clear some of the photographs and put them in the closet. This girls memories may not last forever in her mind now, but they would be safe and sound tucked away where they couldn’t be damaged. As Fleur was wearing her muzzle, I decided she may as well stay put for the time being. So I unpacked some clothes and books and then headed downstairs to the kitchen, where Dutch was alone and unpacking the boxes from the Kitchen in the hotel.  
“Hey, need a hand?” I asked. She looked up from the box she had both arms in.  
“Yes! Start going through the fridge and throwing out any inedible crap”  
“We have electricity?” I asked  
“Apparently the house has generators in the basement. Part of the reason Quinlan chose it, apart from its size”  
I grabbed a trash bag from under the sink and opened the fridge. The smell was overwhelming. Rows of festering, rotten food that had grown green and blue fur sat before me.  
“No wonder you gave me this job” I mumbled to Dutch as I began dragging boxes and plastic packaging out of the fridge and into the bag. Once I’d cleared it, I tied the bag and dropped it on the floor at my feet.  
“I told him I love him” I said. Dutch stopped what she was doing and slowly placed a jar on the counter.  
“It sounds weird to say he dumped me. But he kind of did. I mean, we weren’t in a relationship. But we were at the same time. I don’t know. What was it exactly? I…I love him Dutch. I love him and I know he loves me. He has more than proved that. He just won’t say it and since that wrinkly night demon tried to squeeze the life out me, he thinks it’s unsafe for us to be…us…”  
“Lana” Dutch Interrupted  
“I mean, what kind of bullshit is this?!” I yelled, grabbing the jar of dill pickles that Dutch had put down moments before and throwing it across the room. The jar exploded loudly when it hit the wall, sending a wet firework pattern sprawling across the paintwork, pickles scattered across the floor. Dutch jumped before wrapping her arms around me. Tears escaped and fell down my cheeks.  
“I understand. But I hate it. I hate it” I rambled  
“Shh” Dutch soothed, rubbing my back.  
“I’m sorry.” I said, pulling away and grabbing a roll of kitchen towel. Dutch let me go and watched as I collected pickles of all shapes and sizes from what seemed like every corner of the kitchen.  
I heard footsteps and looked up to see Eph stood in the doorway looking questionably between me and the wet mark on the wall.  
“I dropped a jar.” I stared blankly.  
“But - ” Eph started.  
“She dropped a Jar” Dutch interrupted with a ‘don’t question it’ look.

In the Basement, I had set up a reasonably comfortable living area for Fleur. She had blankets, things to keep her occupied and a mountain of new clothes from one of the rooms upstairs. The family that lived in the house before us obviously had two children. One teenager and one 10-13 year old. Dutch had brought the blood packets from the fridge in the hotel and we stored them in the Basement fridge, which initially was full of beer until I packed them into a box and hid them under a workbench before Eph could get his hands on them. The only downside for Fleur, was having to wear her muzzle at all times unless I was around. We still couldn’t risk her snacking on someone without the protection of bars in front of her.  
After four days in our new digs. My neck was recovering well and Quinlan had failed to return. Setrakian grew concerned and impatient that his sidekick had gone off without telling him what he was doing, often keeping watch by the window in the living area after sundown, waiting to give Quinlan what for should he show up. Between his night time vigils, he had been out with Fet on a couple of visits to a man named Eldritch Palmer. A rich businessman who was rumored to be working with The Master in exchange for being ‘turned’ due to his ill-health. If the professor thought anyone knew about the whereabouts of The Master, then Palmer did. 

On the Fifth day, Quinlan returned. It was midday and Fet and I were about to start a card game on the dining table.  
“I can’t play Poker, can’t we just play ‘snap’?” I complained. Fet looked at me as if I was crazy.  
“What are you, like 5? I’ll teach you how to play poker, have you gambling like a big shot in no time. Here, you shuffle” He said, handing me the deck of cards. I began to shuffle them when a figure appeared over Fet’s shoulder on the patio in the back yard. I stopped what I was doing and stared at it. Fet looked up.  
“What?” He said, shifting his body in his chair so he could see. “Oh, shit. Professor!”  
Fet ran off into the house looking for Setrakian while Quinlan and stared at each other through the glass. His hood was up and his sunglasses were on. He looked a mess, his clothes riddled with bullet holes and his face cut across his cheek. He stood so still he was almost mannequin like, it made me nervous. After what seemed like an eternity, he moved towards me and I was snapped out of my trance. I stood and opened the door. Quinlan stepped inside and removed his hood and glasses. We stood facing each other, both of us waiting for the other to speak. I flinched slightly when he put his arms around me and pulled me into an embrace. His clothes smelled like gunpowder and ammonia. I allowed myself to relax into him, feeling his warmth through his clothes and indulging in his touch. I could feel his two guns in their holsters inside his coat. I dropped the deck of cards that I held on my hand onto the floor. It felt like coming home, familiar and safe…Until I remembered that we weren’t meant to be ‘us’ anymore. I attempted to move back, pushing his arms away from me.  
“Stop. Please, stop” I said. He dropped his arms to his sides and looked sadly at me.  
“Mr. Quinlan!” Setrakian said as he entered the room, followed by Fet. “Where the hell have you been? I thought we were working as a team these days!”  
“I found us a Dibbuk Box, Professor.”  
Setrakian’s face lit up and he moved closer to Quinlan.  
“How?” He asked.  
“I intercepted a delivery from a cargo ship, stole the cargo and brought it here. It is a large sarcophagus that has been shipped from Egypt. It appears to have belonged to the Master. I had to take a few detours so as not to lead anyone back here, hence why it has taken a few days”  
“Mr. Quinlan, this is a significant development.” Setrakian stated quietly.  
Fet sprang into action and began rummaging through a nearby box, spreading blue prints and other various pieces of paperwork across the table. I knelt and began to pick up the cards I had dropped.  
“Where is this Box, Mr. Quinlan?” Setrakian asked,  
“In the vehicle in the Garage” he answered. I heard the room fall silent for a moment while I scrambled to pick up all the cards.  
“You can drive?” Fet said.  
“Yes, I am able to drive a modern vehicle. I adapt to my surroundings”  
“What the hell? I’ve been chauffeuring you around all this time!”  
“Mr. Fet, there are more important matters at hand.” The professor interrupted.  
“Shit” I spat from under the table. Quinlan bent down and peered underneath at me.  
“I’ve lost an Ace” I mumbled.  
“Here” he said, pulling the missing card out from under his boot and handing to me. As I took it, he held on tighter and brushed my hand with his index finger. When he eventually let go, I stood up and shot him a desperate look. If he had made the decision that we weren’t to be anything but acquaintances, then he needed to stop touching me. Quinlan handed the Garage keys to Fet.  
“Feel free to go and see for yourselves, right now, I must be excused” He said as he walked into the hall. I placed the cards on the table and followed him. The back of his coat was covered in dust and dirt. He looked like he’d been in quite the firefight.  
“Where are you going?” I asked. He stopped and observed me over his shoulder.  
“To the basement to clean up”  
“You don’t live in the Basement, Quinlan. Fleur does. Because she’s a Strigoi. You can use my room, it has a bathroom.”  
He tilted his head to the side, a sly smile spreading across his lips.  
“Thank you” he said.  
“I have a condition. A rule”  
His smile grew wider “Go on…”  
“You’re not to touch me. You can’t keep touching me. It’s not fair”  
His smile vanished and he sighed. “You are right. I apologize. I will not touch you”  
With this promise in place, I made my way to the stairs. The house was large and there were a lot of stairs elevating in a spiral. Quinlan followed me up, keeping quiet. 

In my room, I hung his coat up on the door hook and took his sword along with his guns and holster and placed them on the dresser. Quinlan wandered around, examining all the posters and quotes on the wall. I watched from the chair in the corner, tucking my legs under me. He stopped by a large canvas which displayed the words ‘Today is a gift, Live in the now’ in swirly, italic writing on a seascape background. I saw him scoff and shake his head before he removed his waistcoat and shirt. His strong, scarred back boasted yet another wound to add to the collection. I felt longing rise in me and diverted my eyes away from him. This was torture, I should never have invited him in here. What was I doing to myself? He walked into the bathroom, not bothering to close the door, and started the shower.  
I stayed put, battling with my urges to creep into the middle of the room and peer into the bathroom. He may have finished things between us, but surely a girl still has the right to admire from a far. I stuck to my guns, indulging myself would only make the whole situation even more difficult to handle. Deciding I needed a distraction, I picked up a book from the bookshelf behind me and attempted to read, Only to find I was skimming the same sentence over and over, my mind wandering to the naked, toned Half-Breed in my shower.  
After a few minutes, Quinlan emerged and I was unable to control what came out of my mouth.  
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” I cried. He was stood in my room, wearing a towel around his waist. Distracting drops of water ran down his rippled torso.  
“Excuse me?” He said.  
I slammed the book on the floor and stood up.  
“I shouldn’t have let you in here. It was…it was a dumb idea.”  
“Why?” He asked  
“Because…you’re all naked and hot and it’s not fair and y-you need to put some clothes on because you can’t just dump me and then expect me to be OK with this, show…this naked show. It’s…its mean OK? It’s mean”  
I felt exposed and like a rambling fool. My emotions had been all over the place and my little speeches had become increasingly more common. Quinlan nodded once and went to enter the bathroom again.  
“Does that mean nothing to you?” I said, gesturing to the quote on the wall that he had scoffed at. “I think we should all live like that, now more than ever”  
He glanced at the canvas and then back at me.  
“It is not that simple”  
I rose from my seat and wandered across the room to him, stopping inches from his body. My eyes roamed his skin and my breathing quickened. I wasn’t sure what exactly I was planning to do, but I suspect that was the point. I was going with it, living in the moment. I lifted a hand and ran it slowly over his chest before stepping closer, my body making contact with his.  
“I thought there was a no touching rule?” He questioned.  
“Screw the no touching rule” I replied.  
As my lips met his collarbone, I felt him gasp. My hands now felt all over him, up his arms, across his stomach, around to his back. I felt myself becoming aroused, all it took was for me to touch him.  
“Tell me you don’t want this and I’ll stop” I whispered in his ear.  
I felt his head move closer to mine, falling into the curve of my neck, he kissed my skin lightly, running his lips up and down, kissing and nibbling. Warmth spread over me from between my legs and I felt him harden against me as his hand slipped under the front of my shirt and moved up to my breast, pushing under my bra.  
“I can’t” He breathed. I tried to Ignore him and pressed myself into him even more. Finding his lips, I kissed him passionately, listening to him moan in pleasure before he pulled away slightly.  
"Uhhh, I can't" He said again  
“You can’t what?” I asked.  
“I can’t tell you I don’t want this”.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi All! A shorter chapter to keep you going, I just wanted to get this posted after the lovely comments and compliments I've received. I am so glad people are enjoying this. I am my own worst critic so the encouragement really helps. <3

His lips found mine and he kissed me roughly. I can stop this, I thought. I can stop this right now. How am I so sure this is the right thing to do? Quinlan let out a moan, an entirely human moan that drove me utterly crazy, he was moaning because of me, because he wanted me that badly, and that was the biggest turn on of all. Yes, this was the right thing to do, now more than ever. I felt his hand close over the entirely of my breast as I clawed at his back. No matter how hard I tried, I could not have enough of him, I wanted to be consumed by him, to be part of him. As our tongues danced together, I pressed against him to move him backwards, then I pushed him, slamming his back into the wall and pulling my shirt over my head. I caught a glimpse of shock on his face, followed by a wicked smile.  
“You are full of surprises” He teased  
“I just want to be full of you. Now shut up” I replied.  
I kissed him again, nibbling on his bottom lip. Surges of pleasure raged through my body, I could feel myself becoming more and more wet, throbbing and begging for him. His erection was now extremely obvious and the desire I felt to remove that towel was overwhelming. I ran my fingertips along the top of it, from left to right, right to left, stopping in the middle before hooking my index finger over the top, tugging lightly. I noticed his kiss slow and gradually his hands left my body.  
“Lana, stop” he said quietly “We can’t do this. I can’t do this, it isn’t fair on you.”  
I felt passion turn to rage rapidly as I stepped back.  
“You can’t be serious? You…you wind me up that much and then…you…THIS isn’t fair to me, Quinlan. You want this, I know you do, and so do I. Yet you keep pushing me away.”  
I quickly bent down, snatched my shirt from the floor and pulled it over my head before turning my back to him.  
“Lana…Please listen to me” I heard him say from behind me.  
“No. Get out” I spat.  
I listened with my back to him as he walked back to the bathroom, put his clothes back on and left the room. I was angry and embarrassed but above everything else, I was just sad. 

I stayed in my room for the rest of the day, leaving only once to feed fleur. I had watched the activity surrounding the garage from my window, watched Quinlan. Longed for him, hated him, and loved him. Eventually, Fet had started soldering bars and hammering wooden beams across the windows of the house. Creating a chorus of banging and tapping four hours. I crept down the wooden stairs, being careful not to make a sound. The last thing I needed was to run into Quinlan.  
The hallway was empty and I could only make out one sound from the living area, the sound of a glass being placed onto a table. At the bottom of the stairs, I peered around the doorframe to see Dutch on the couch, alone.  
“Hey” I said. She spun around instantly.  
“Lana, dammit! Don’t creep up on me like that”  
I giggled and entered the room, sitting on the couch next to her.  
“Where have you been all day?” She asked, picking up her glass and offering it to me. I took it and smelled the liquid inside. Rum. Raising the glass in a ‘cheers’ motion, I took a large sip and reveled in the stinging sensation as I swallowed.  
“In my room. Are you and Fet on speaking terms yet?” I asked  
She winced slightly “Not exactly, He’s still mad at me and he’s on the verge of killing Eph.”  
“What’s going on between you and Eph?”  
She sat back, took her drink back from me and sighed, spinning the glass in her hand. “I don’t know. I guess I figured we could all die tomorrow, so why the hell not”  
I shrugged and nodded. “I wish Quinlan still thought that way” I mumbled.  
Dutch’s eyebrows rose slightly.  
“We almost…y’know. But he stopped it. Keeps saying that now the Master knows who I am, we have to stay away from one another”  
Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. “It’s a bit late for that” She said through her teeth.  
“Yeah…He’s stubborn as hell”  
She placed her hand on my knee “He might come around, he has before. He’s made it quite obvious that he struggles to stay away from you”  
She was right, he had made that obvious. But I was no longer sure if we were going to be able to make the most of one another before the world is either saved or goes to shit. One thing I was sure of, was that I couldn’t take another knockback.  
“Anyway, in the nicest possible way, whatever you and Eph are doing, try and spare Fet, OK? His pride is hurt”  
She shot me a look and I I stood and made my way to the door.  
“Who’d have thought…the end of the world and we’re having boyfriend trouble” Dutch laughed behind me. “Cheers to that” She held up her glass and tipped it to me. Just as I was about to leave the room, Fet appeared in the kitchen doorway, on the other side of the room and addressed Dutch.  
“Uh…sorry to interrupt. I’m headin’ out with The Professor. Doctor asshole wants to talk to you. Well, he wanted me to deliver a message…but I said no. So you’ll have to go see him yourself.”  
The tension in the room was almost unbearable. I was grateful when they retreated outside to the drive. I watched them load the trucks from the living room window, Eph and Dutch chattered among themselves as they hoisted the machine they had made into the flatbed of their truck, while Fet and The professor climbed into another truck further down the drive. From what I could hear through the glass, the machine was being tested on live subjects in an experiment in Central Park and Fet and Setrakian were on a silver gathering mission. A noise from behind startled me and I was surprised to see Quinlan standing in the middle of the room with Fleur on her leash.  
“I have to leave the house. She is to stay with you until I return” He said, holding out the handle to her leash.  
“Fleur, here” I said and patted my leg. She lunged forwards, ripping the leash from Quinlan’s grip and settling at my feet.  
He studied me for a moment until he finally walked to the hallway. Stopping briefly, he didn’t turn around.  
“Please keep away from the windows and doors” He said. I turned away as he left the house, focusing my attention on Fleur. 

Two hours passed and the silence in the house was deafening. In the hotel, the purring of the lights and creaking of the floorboards always seemed to lull me into a sense of security. This place was deathly silent, only broken by Fleur’s occasional growling and curious noises, which I was finding to be a great comfort. I had stayed in the living room after retrieving some potato chips and a soda from the kitchen. Stuffing the chips in my mouth, I played chess with myself. I had found a huge, wooden chess board under a table with the most beautifully carved pieces. I was almost disappointed that Fleur wasn’t intelligent enough to play the game, considering I knew how to counteract my own moves. After a while, I sat back on the couch and sipped my soda. Fleur batted her bouncy ball back and forth across the carpet, looking up at me from time to time. Why, I had no idea. She couldn’t even see me.  
A shriek from the front yard startled us both. Fleur jumped up onto the table and I gripped the arm of the couch. It sounded so close, like it was right outside the window. I looked around the room frantically for anything I could use as a weapon, stopping on a fire poker on the Mantle. I sprung up and grabbed it, gripping it tightly in my hands and holding it up like a baseball bat. I edged closer to the front window and froze when the shriek cut through the air again. It definitely was on the other side of the glass. I glanced over my shoulder at Fleur, who to my alarm had vanished. A loud click and the tinkle of the metal loop from the handle of her leash in the direction of the hallway sent fear raging through my veins…she had opened the front door.  
I sprinted towards the open door, just in time to see Fleur facing off with a large Strigoi on the front porch. She was dwarfed by its massive frame but was not backing down. Crouched on all fours, she was now making just as much noise as her opponent. My hands were hurting from the tightness of my grip on the metal poker, reminding me that I should probably use it. Fleur’s stinger shot out at lightning speed but was batted away quickly by the big Strigoi. It brushed her aside before looking at me with a fiendish hunger. It’s pale skin glistening in the porch light, its eyes intent, watching my every move. It was once a male, a large male, probably of Fet’s stature. In a split second I remembered how long Strigoi stingers could be and threw myself backwards with just enough time to dodge the lethal appendage as it emerged from the creature’s mouth and charged towards me. The Strigoi leapt forwards, batting Fleur to the side and sprinted into the house towards me. I held the poker over my shoulder like a spear and threw it as hard as I could, closing my eyes once it left my hands. If I was going to be eaten, I didn’t want my last vision to be of this monster. I waited for it to hit me.  
I slowly opened my eyes and sighed with relief when I saw the Strigoi sprawled out in front of me on the floor. Its stinger limp and lifeless, hanging from its mouth. Fleur hovered over it, making a low clicking noise I could only guess was anger.  
Suddenly, the shock left my body and I released all the breath in my lungs in one exhalation and slumped to the floor, tears running down my face.  
“Shit” I breathed. “Shit, shit.”  
Fleur approached me and touched my ankle. I flinched away from her.  
“No! You’re a bad…S-Strigoi! Why did you open the door, Fleur?! You could have got me killed! Go and close it!”  
She recoiled at my raised voice and scuttled over to the door, pushing it shut and turning to watch me from afar. My chest was still rising and falling rapidly with fear, I batted the tears from my eyes and pulled myself up onto the bottom step. Observing the body on the floor, I noticed I had somehow pierced the Strigoi’s skull. I had no idea I was even that strong, but put it down to adrenaline. It was an extremely close call and one I was not willing to experience again. 

Around an hour later, Fet and Setrakian returned. I was still sat in the same place. Setrakian’s eyes almost popped out when he saw the lifeless Striogi on the floor, a poker sticking out of its skull. Fet ran to me.  
“What the hell happened? Are you OK?” He asked, placing his hands on my arms and standing me up.  
“I-I-” I stammered.  
Setrakian joined him at my side.  
“How did that get in here, Lana?” He said. They both gave me a minute to compose myself and I gathered the story in my head.  
“I was playing chess, with myself. Because Fleur, y’know she can’t play chess. There was a noise outside, it was loud, close, a high pitched noise. Strigoi noise. So I grabbed the poker because there wasn’t anything else and I really think we should start leaving more weapons laying around because we don’t exactly have to childproof the house and maybe if I had a gun I could have shot it…”  
“Lana, how did it get in?” Setrakian repeated  
“Oh…Fleur was a bad girl, she opened the door, the front door. She was on the porch and it looked like the two of them were having an argument. She tried to warn it off. She didn’t do it to put me in danger, I think it was an instinct thing. I don’t know but she opened the door and then it was…it was here. It was in the fucking house and I stabbed it. I stabbed it in the skull…in the skull…I mean, how did I even do that?!”  
Fet put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him.  
“Shh, you did good. That’s one dead muncher, you went all wonder woman on its ass.”  
“She has a point Mr. Fet” Setrakian started, examining the dead creature. “We need to make sure that we have weapons within arm’s reach now we have moved out of the confines of a high rise building”  
“Roger that” Fet said.  
I noticed Fleur in the corner of the Hall, hiding behind a plant pot.  
“Fleur” I called out, beckoning her with my hand.  
“Ooh no.” Said Fet “She’s caused enough trouble, back in the basement with mini muncher” He strode towards her and grabbed the handle of her leash, yanking her out of the corner. I looked on sadly as he dragged her down to the basement.  
Setrakian went to walk past me to the Kitchen.  
“Are you OK?” He asked sheepishly. I took a deep breath, dusted my clothes off and smiled.  
“Yes. Still going strong”. 

When the others returned I was in my room but went to stand on the landing when I heard them come in. Eph, Dutch and Quinlan had arrived back at the same time and were met by Fet and Setrakian in the hall downstairs. I listened intently to the conversation.  
“Why is there a dead Striogi in the house?” Eph asked  
“It got inside and attacked Lana” Setrakian said  
“Is she OK?” Quinlan demanded.  
“She was shaken up, but she’s fine. She is responsible for the metal in its skull. Girl has some secret skills” Fet said, I could see him marveling at my handiwork through the bannisters.  
“No way…How did it get in here?” Dutch said.  
“Fleur” Fet replied “She opened the door and decided to ask it nicely to go away.”  
“What the hell?!” Dutch exclaimed  
“Fleur sees Lana as a mother figure, it could have been an attempt to defend her” Eph said.  
“Lana is not hurt at all? She wasn’t stung?” Quinlan asked  
“No, I said she’s fine, OK?” Fet snapped.  
“Did you find anything of significance?” The professor asked Eph.  
By this point, I had heard enough and decided to go back to my room. Fleur’s fate was hanging in the balance, I doubted any of them would trust her now. But she was mine and she was defending me, so no one was going to take her away, especially when she had proved to be so useful in the past.

 

Back in my room, I had left the door ajar, found an old notebook and began scribbling down my thoughts, the pen pressing into the paper so hard the words were imprinted on the pages underneath. I sat on the chair in the corner, my legs folded under me, a purple blanket draped over me. The window had been boarded up by Fet, A tiny crack between the boards was now the only view I had of the outside world. My hand had begun to hurt after the second paragraph, but so many words were spilling out of my mind onto the paper, I found it hard to stop when I heard a gentle knock at my door.  
I glanced up and saw Quinlan standing in the hallway. Slamming my pen onto the notebook, I sighed and waited. He gently pushed the door further open and went to step inside.  
“That’s close enough” I snapped.  
“Do you have a moment?” he asked. I hesitated and pulled the blanket further over my shoulders.  
“I have lots of moments. The question is, if I am willing to waste any more of them on you”  
I noticed something flicker across his face, it was sadness.  
“Lana, please”  
If anything, it was curiosity that got the better of me. That and a little bit of wanting to see him, just for a minute.  
“Fine, come in”  
He stepped inside, quietly closed the door behind him and went to take off his coat and sword holster.  
“Woah, no getting comfortable. You asked for a moment and that’s all you’re having before you humiliate me again” He stopped removing his coat and stood still instead.  
“Your handiwork on the Strigoi downstairs…impressive.”  
“Thanks” I mumbled, placing my notebook and pen on the desk next to me.  
“I was worried you were hurt”  
“I’m not”  
I felt frustration and anger seeping into my mind, but underneath it all, the urge to run into his arms was overwhelming.  
“I would like to say something to you, if you’ll allow me”  
My eyes met his but I quickly broke the eye contact, feeling like he could see into my soul. I nodded.  
“It was never my intention to hurt you or cause you embarrassment. Destiny conspired to drive this wedge between us and all I want is for this burden to be lifted. I did not put a stop to things because I didn’t want to…be with you. I can assure you, I wanted that very much. I still do. But I felt it unfair to you to connect in such a way when it is safer that we stay apart. I am truly sorry for hurting you.”  
I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Now I was going to say my piece.  
“Don’t you dare blame destiny for this, Quinlan. This wasn’t destiny, this was you. You pushed me to this point, you made me fall in love with you and you indulged in it, making me believe we were both on the same page. Then, because The Master found out I existed, you’ve become a coward and are running away from what you know is meant to be. This is destiny, you and I. We are what’s meant to happen. I feel it and so do you and it’s so strong you can’t possibly deny it. By giving up what makes you happy, you are giving The Master what he wants. He knows your weakness is your emotions and he knows you will try to deny them, so prove him wrong. He wants the destruction and enslavement of humanity. While we are destructive and greedy and probably not worthy of being saved, there are two main things that humans are driven by, survival…and love. If you give up on love, there’s only survival…and what’s survival, without love?”  
I was well aware that what just came out of my mouth was one of the most honest and profound things I had ever said. The look on Quinlan’s face told me that much. Still, I wasn’t sure how he would react to it, but it was all I had left in me. He lifted his head slightly, looking down at me as I sat curled up on my chair. I saw a momentary smile cross his face, he laughed slightly and slowly shook his head.  
“You are a fascinating creature. Far more aware of your own emotions than you realize” He said softly.  
“It’s a pity you aren’t as aware of your own” I quipped.  
“…and yet you are still as frustrating as you’ve always been”  
“I’m frustrating you because you know I’m right” I said, rising from my chair and standing my ground. My blanket sliding from my legs and hitting the floor. He started pacing the room, circling back and forth, running his hand over his chin, glancing up and me and then away again.  
“Say it, Quinlan. Just say it”  
He shot me a lingering, slightly angry look.  
“Stop, Lana”  
“Just say it. Tell me you love me.” My voice began to rise and I felt impatience prickle at the inside of my skin. He started pacing again, although this time he refused to look at me.  
“The world isn’t going to implode, it’s already started” I said. No response from him, just a low growl emitting from his stinger and he paced to and fro.  
“Do you love me, Quinlan? Say it” I continued. He growled again, but this time it wasn’t his stinger. It was a human growl of annoyance. He wanted me to stop. I had no plans to oblige.  
“Admit it. I want to hear you say it. Nothing is going to happen. Do you love me, Quinlan?”  
“Stop this, Lana” He warned  
“Why? Because you won’t admit how you feel? Or is it because you can’t? Because maybe you’ve led me on, maybe you don’t love me at all” As the words left my lips, I saw something in him snap. He spun around, his eyes connected with mine.  
“I BROKE MY OWN HEART LOVING YOU, LANA!” He yelled.  
His voice booming through my head and sending a shockwave through me. His eyes were piercing, his face full of fury.  
“Now, you’ll listen to what I have to say! I never wanted this, I never wanted the distraction, and I never wanted anything. But you changed my soul and now I want everything. I want to be with you every day, I want to hear you laugh, see you smile, kiss your forehead and trace the outlines of your body with my fingers. I love you, I will love you until the day I die and if there is life after that, then I will love you then, too. If I die and you live, no one that you will meet during the remainder of your life will love you like I do. I love you in ways you have never been loved, for reasons you have never been told and for longer than you think you deserve and with more than you will ever think existed inside me. Because it’s you, Lana. The reason I am here, the reason I am doing what I am doing, it’s you. It was always you. You are right, you are my destiny.”  
As he spoke, his voice quietened until he stopped. His eyes left mine and lowered to the floor. The room fell completely silent and it was intensely, unbearably deafening. I listened to my own rapid breathing as my mind processed his revelation, my heart felt like it was being squeezed in an iron grip. We remained there, opposite each other, not saying a word. After a few minutes, I became aware that my mouth was wide open as if I were gasping for air. Quinlan was the first to move, slowly stepping closer to me.  
“I’m sorry” He whispered.  
As I raised my eyes to look up at him, I was surprised that they were filled with tears which had escaped and were running down my cheeks. Quinlan looked slightly alarmed and lifted a hand to wipe my cheeks with his thumb.  
“I’m so sorry I shouted at you” He said, placing his hand on the side of my face. I covered his hand with my own and held it there. He tilted his head and studied me.  
“I love you” He breathed. I licked my lips and swallowed hard, the tears were beginning to subside. There it was, I’d finally had my wish granted. I withdrew my hand from his and slid it around his waist, my other hand following suit on the other side. Quinlan stepped closer and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me into him. My face rested against his thick coat as I closed my eyes and squeezed him as hard as I could.  
“I love you too” I said, my voice muffled by our tight embrace.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello All! Another chapter!  
> Let me know what you think! I love reading your comments and thank you for all the Kudos <3

Quinlan held on to me so tightly, I was actually starting to find breathing quite difficult. I gently tapped his back, signaling for him to release me from his grasp. He did as I asked and we stood facing one another. My face was puffy and damp with tears. I suddenly felt self-conscious and quickly wiped my cheeks with my sleeves. I smiled up at him.  
“Tell me we can be…us now” I said. “I don’t care what happens, I just want to be with you”  
He studied my face and ran his fingers through my hair, smiling slightly.  
“I will protect you and guard you with my life.”  
“Is that a yes?” I pressed. He leaned towards me and as his lips met mine, I knew the answer to my question. He was all I wanted in the world and it could implode around me and he would still be the only thing I saw. I slid my hand inside his coat, under his shirt and up to his chest as his tongue danced with mine. My hand crept over his shoulder and settled on the side of his neck. He stopped kissing me and his forehead met mine, our eyes locked together. My other hand rested on his warm skin under his clothes, I spread my fingers out to feel as much of him as possible.  
“I will never tire of the way you look at me, I will also never understand it. But I adore it.” He whispered.  
“What do you mean? How do I look at you?” I asked, leaning back slightly so I could see the almost bashful expression on his face.  
“It… doesn’t matter” He said  
“No, tell me. How do I look at you?” I asked again, tracing line down the back of his neck with my finger. Quinlan hesitated for a long time, as if he were trying to find the right words, his lips slightly parted, his stinger emitting a quiet purr.  
“I spent many years treated as a monster, feared and locked away. I am unfamiliar with what it feels like to be desired. I see that you desire me when you look at me…and I will never understand why” He finally replied, breaking eye contact with me. I moved with his gaze, giving him no option but to re-establish eye contact. My hand, still on his bare flesh under his shirt, slowly slid downwards, feeling over the bumps of his toned torso. I pressed myself against him and lightly kissed his cheek.  
“You have been in love before, was it mutual?” I asked  
“It was…complicated” He said. I assumed he would tell me about it in his own time.  
“Quinlan, you are mesmerizing. You’re different and people feared you because of your appearance. I used to. But I got to know you and everything I saw on the inside of you, I now see on the outside of you. The things that make you different, are my favorite things about you.”  
He said nothing. I kissed the side of his neck while my hand roamed around inside his shirt. I felt one of his hands travel around my waist while the other tickled my neck under the collar of my shirt. I decided to allow him to indulge in some truths, so I continued to explain myself.  
“I think your skin markings are intricate and beautiful. The noises your stinger makes once frightened me. Now, I find it comforting and I miss it when I can’t hear it. The color of your eyes is amazing, they hold so many secrets and have seen so many things, when I look into them, and I feel like I’m looking into your world. Your strength turns me on. Your body is incredible and I struggle to stop touching you. I could have every single inch of you pressed against me and I’d still want you to pull me closer”  
As his fingers tickled my collar bone, I saw him smile and close his eyes momentarily before lowering his head and burying his face in my hair. I heard him inhale deeply against my neck and his arms enveloped me.  
“Thank you” I heard him whisper into my hair.  
After a few moments of enjoying our embrace, I gently pulled away and crossed the room to the bed. It was late and the events of earlier had drained my energy. My eyes stung and my bones felt heavy. I felt like I could sleep for a week. I pulled my shirt over my head, threw it on the laundry pile and began searching under the pillows for my oversized T-shirt that I wore to sleep in. I looked over my shoulder at Quinlan, who was stood completely still, staring at me from across the room.  
“I’m sorry, I am so tired, I need to get some rest” I said, my hands still rummaging through the bed for my shirt. “You can stay, if you want”.  
I eventually found my clothes and wriggled into my huge shirt, slipping my jeans off and kicking them away. He watched me closely.  
“I would like nothing more than to stay. However, the others may suspect something.” He said. He was right, we had to be careful until we were ready to come clean. I crossed the room and threw my arms around his shoulders, kissing him urgently and nibbling his lip. His hands lifted my hips slightly, the tips of my toes leaving the floor. Our breathing became louder and more rapid as he lowered me down and slid his hands under my shirt and gently felt my breasts through my bra.  
“Quinlan. Stop, you’re making this even more difficult” I giggled  
“I’m sorry. I just really want to-”  
“Hold that thought” I interrupted. “We will get the chance, but like you said, the others will get suspicious right now”  
He reluctantly removed his hands and turned to the door. I quickly took his hand and kissed the back of it.  
“Goodnight. I love you” I said. He smiled at me.  
“Goodnight, My love” He replied and left the room. 

 

In the morning, it was no surprise to me that I had a spring in my step. I was up bright and early, showered, dressed and hair washed and braided. In the kitchen, I made coffee and took a seat at the dining table with the others. Seated opposite Quinlan, I poured everyone coffee and settled down to listen.  
“Lana, we need to talk about Fleur” Fet said  
My heart sank. I had a feeling this would happen. She’d almost got me killed and now they all wanted her out.  
“She’s dangero-” Fet started. Gripping his coffee mug defensively.  
“No. She’s not” I spat. “She opened the door because she was trying to protect me” I could feel irritation rapidly ruining my good mood.  
“But, that could happen again, Lana. She may have been following her instincts, but she was obviously no match for a bigger, stronger Strigoi. She put you in danger.” Eph attempted to explain  
“It was my fault too. I should have fastened her leash somewhere, or at least been holding it. If you’re all so hell bent on living in a Strigoi-Free environment, maybe you should kick Quinlan out too” I said.  
“I saved your life three times you ungrateful swine” Quinlan jested, the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk.  
Tapping my finger on the table, I looked around the table at everyone’s sympathetic looks. They may be feeling sympathy but I had a feeling I may have a fight on my hands.  
“She has proved to be useful in the past. We would be very far behind if she hadn’t retrieved that black box for us” Setrakian chimed in. I felt gratitude for the comment and hoped it had made a difference.  
“Dutch, you know she’s not dangerous, you’ve been spending more time with her recently” I pleaded. Dutch’s eyes slowly moved up from her coffee and she took in everyone’s expressions before answering me.  
“I think it was an accident. It’s unlikely to happen again. Right, Lana?” She shot me a look that I could only assume meant ‘don’t make me regret backing you up’.  
“Mr Quinlan?” Setrakian said. Quinlan had been quietly taking it all in.  
“I do not believe the small Strigoi to be a threat. That is provided she is watched over closely when not in the basement and is fastened somewhere to stop her from roaming free and repeating the events of last night”.  
“I can do that” I said quickly. “I can. I can do that”  
“I don’t like this” Fet mumbled.  
“As long as there are rules, I do not see why Fleur cannot stay” Setrakian Said. “Now, moving on, we need to discuss how we are going to get to the Master once the box is complete”  
I was relieved at the decision Setrakian made about Fleur. The others wouldn’t dare argue with the old man and I was reaping the benefits of that. Fleur was mine. I captured her, I won her over and I had grown attached to her. That I was not going to deny. Fet kept quiet, but I saw him roll his eyes and cross his big arms as if he were exasperated. As much as I tried to fight it, my eyes kept roaming to Quinlan. We were sat opposite one another at the end of the table, his body slightly angled away from me, more towards the others. I slumped down in my seat and slid my feet along the floor towards him, my socks keeping the motion silent. When I met his boots, I saw his eyes flicker but he didn’t move. I slid my foot up and over his boot, feeling the warmth of his leg through his trousers, reaching his shin bone. He looked away from the others for a second, a confused look flickered across his face. I carried on, encouraged by the danger, the possibility that someone might see. Once, I’d got to his knee, I moved to the left and ran the side of my foot along the inside of his thigh. I felt him shift slightly in his seat and stifled a smile when I realized that he was making it easier for me. I casually glanced around the room, drank my coffee and nodded along, appearing completely innocent. Under the table my foot had reached his groin and if he was finding it difficult to keep his composure, he was hiding it well. I gently pushed at rubbed with my toes until I saw him take a very deep breath and quickly glance at me. Excitement tingled in my body, a move this bold was not usually in my nature. But what the hell, the world was going to shit and the love of my life was going to die. The others were all deep in conversation and I could feel Quinlan’s growing erection beneath my foot. I wondered how he was going to cover that up when he eventually had to stand up. He looked at me again and this time was unable to hide a smile. It was very slight, but it was there. Again, I gently massaged my foot against him and it drove me crazy when I felt him push back against me. I couldn’t help but release a sigh that was louder than I realized.  
“Are we boring you?” Dutch asked. I froze, only my eyes shot to the side to look at her.  
“Uh, no. Sorry, I just don’t know how much help I am here. I think I’ll make myself scarce” I said, removing my foot from between Quinlan’s legs, finishing my coffee and standing up. My knees slightly weak. I had wound myself up as much as Quinlan. I hastily left the room and entered the basement, descending the stairs and intending to see Fleur and tell her off for being such an idiot the night before. When I reached the bottom, I felt a gust of air sweep around me and was thrown against the wall, Quinlan pinned my arms above my head with one hand holding both wrists and a wicked smile on his face.  
“I am a gentleman, but if you continue to make me hard in social situations I will have to punish you” He growled.  
“I’m counting on it” I said, giving him a little wink. He grinned and slid his hand over my pants, slowly venturing between my legs until I could feel him circling my clit through my clothing. Fire exploded through me and my breath caught in my throat. I attempted to free one of my arms but his grip only got stronger. He nuzzled into my neck, kissing and licking my skin.  
“You look so innocent, it’s almost hard to believe you can be so delightfully wicked”  
He applied more pressure and I gasped loudly, my body was screaming for him. I could hear him breathing heavily, his stinger rattled, he wanted me as much as I wanted him.  
“Uuuh, shit” He said, pulling away from me and steadying himself by resting on his arm on the wall, at the side of me.  
I tried to catch my breath and turned my head to look up at him.  
“Your gentle side makes me weak…while your dominant side makes me wet” I whispered before kissing him gently and making my way towards the other end of the basement.  
“Tell me I will get to have you” He called after me. I spun around, and grinned at him.  
“Depends if you can behave yourself” I said, giving him a wink and spinning back the opposite way.  
“Like you, you mean?” I heard him say, followed by a laugh. 

Later that night, Dutch knocked on my door. She looked tired and disheveled when I opened it. Her black eyeliner was smudged under her eyes. She grinned and held up a bottle of wine. I rolled my eyes and let her in.  
“We need a catch up” She said, popping the cork in the bottle and taking a big gulp.  
“You didn’t bring wine glasses?” I asked  
“You really think I’m that classy?” She laughed. Her dirty blonde hair was tied in a bun with loose curls escaping at the sides. She was wearing black jeans and a baggy, grey sweater. She always seemed to be dressed in similar clothes, unlike me, she refused to carry a suitcase full of them around. She handed me the bottle and sat on the bed, her back against the headboard and her legs stretched out in front of her. I settled next to her and drank some wine. Red. Merlot. Really not nice from the bottle, but Dutch was right, she wasn’t the wine glass type. Not anymore anyway.  
“How’s the research coming along?” I asked  
“Great! We’ve cracked it. We tested the machine in the Park last night, it completely shuts them down”  
I looked at her and raised my eyebrows. This was significant news.  
“Really?! That’s amazing! So what exactly happens to them?” I asked, passing the bottle back to her.  
“Well, in layman’s terms…” She started, giving me a patronizing look  
“Asshole” I giggled.  
“It interrupts the signals that The Master uses to pass on messages to his Strigoi minions. But in doing that, it renders them pretty much useless. It’s like the lights are on, but no one’s home”  
She had another swig of wine and examined the label on the bottle for a moment.  
“Nice work you’ve done. You and Eph” I said, dropping a hint. Her eyes moved from the bottles label to me.  
“Oh C’mon. Just ask me” She said sternly.  
“Have you had sex with him?”  
“Yes.” She answered as if it were nothing. “Have you had sex with Quinlan?”  
“Oh Jesus” I looked forward and sighed.  
“I told you mine, you tell me yours” She nudged my side with her elbow and started rustling around in her jeans pocket. She pulled out a candy bar and waved it in my face.  
“Where did you get that?” I demanded. I hadn’t seen any candy in the entire house since we moved in and there was a serious lack of it at the hotel.  
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you. Share your information and I’ll share my candy”  
“This is what our friendship has come to? Bribery?” I laughed. She thought for a moment.  
“Yeah, pretty much”  
“No, I’ve not had sex with Quinlan” I mumbled. She snapped the candy bar in half and threw it up in the air. It landed in my lap.  
“Has he still not worked out that it’s much more fun to get laid before you die?”  
I gave her a shocked look and snatched the bottle from her hands, she giggled at me and a smile crept across my face.  
“Actually, he has. We just have to choose our moment wisely. I don’t want anyone else to know just yet.” Growing increasingly annoyed with drinking from the bottle, I grabbed a mug from the table beside the bed and poured myself a generous amount of wine before passing it back to Dutch.  
“And you thought I was the unclassy one” She quipped.  
“I think you’ll find my method is less like a tramp on a park bench”  
“I am hurt” She stated playfully. “So, you’re happy?”  
I hesitated for a moment, replaying the events of the night before and this morning in the Basement.  
“He finally told me he loves me. So yes, I am happy”  
She shifted and lay on her side so she could face me. “Is this why you both vanished at the same time this morning?”  
“He kinda ambushed me in the basement. Back slammed against the wall, wrists held above me and everything.”  
Her mouth hung open as she stared at me before flopping back onto the bed and staring at the ceiling, the bottle gripped in her hand beside her. She let out a big sigh.  
“Hot” She said.  
“Mmhmm” I replied as I sipped my wine. 

As I made my way down to feed Fleur in the basement, I clutched a metal bowl full of blood. Trying carefully not to spill a drop on the stairs, I gently stepped down to the bottom and crossed the basement to Fleur’s area. Her leash and collar were hanging from a hook on the wall, blankets were strewn across the floor and her red, bouncy ball was stationary in the middle of everything. My eyes shot from left to right, right to left. I spun around, then back again. She was gone.  
My heart jumped into my chest. Where the hell had she got to?  
“Fleur?” I called out, half expecting her to jump out from the shadows. There was no response. I dropped the bowl in my hand as my eyes filled with tears. I felt I knew exactly what had happened here but refused to allow it to creep into the forefront of my mind until I was completely sure. The crimson liquid on the floor left an explosive red mass and a pungent smell. I turned and ran to the stairs, tears blurring my vision. Once at the top, I tore through the ground floor of the house, yelling at the top of my lungs.  
“FET!”  
The living room was empty, so was the hall.  
“FET!”  
Setrakian was in the dining room. He rose from his seat as he saw me charging through and used the back of the chair to steady himself.  
“Lana? What is the matter?” He enquired.  
“Where is Fet?” I demanded, my eyes wild and my expression furious.  
“He went out earlier, but I’m sure I heard him come back a few minutes ago. I heard the front door…are you ok?”  
“No” I snapped as I charged back towards the Hallway.  
“FET!”  
“Woah, I’m here, what’s all the yelling about?” He was at the bottom of the stairs, wearing his coat. I stood in front of him, my chest heaving with rage and my eyes locked with his.  
“Go out for a night time stroll, did you?” I said angrily.  
“Lana…”He started.  
“NO!” I yelled. “You don’t get to try and explain! You took her didn’t you?!”  
I could sense Eph and Dutch standing on the landing upstairs, watching the commotion.  
“I did the right thing. She was dangerous” He said quietly.  
“Fuck you! That wasn’t your decision to make. We decided the rules this morning.” My voice was now so loud, that Setrakian had ventured out into the hall with me.  
“Where is she Fet? If you’ve killed her, I’ll shoot you myself”  
“Mr Fet, you didn’t…” Setrakian said from behind me.  
“I didn’t kill her, I just let her go” He mumbled.  
I stood glaring at him for a moment before striding to the coat rack and throwing someone’s coat on. It looked like Eph’s and had fur around the hood. Before I left the house, I ran to the living room to retrieve my weapon of choice, the poker from the fireplace. As I went to leave, Fet stood in front of me.  
“I can’t let you go out there” He said.  
“Yes, you can. And you will. Or I’ll use this on you” I said, holding up the pointy end of the fire poker. I waited for his eyes to move to the weapon before ducking as quickly as I could to the side of him and sprinting to the door. I flung it open and ran off into the night to a chorus of people calling my name and begging me not to be so impulsive. 

The night air was bitterly cold and my breath billowed in front of me like a huge plume of smoke. Cold stung my cheeks and my nose was numb in a matter of minutes. I gripped the weapon in my hand and tried to fight the fear that was rapidly consuming my mind. I wanted to find Fleur so much that I pushed it away and tried to focus. The streets were eerily empty, it was like the apocalypse had already happened. Darkness weighed heavily on my vision and I cursed the fact that I didn’t have the forethought to collect a torch. Attempting to keep myself out in the open as much as possible to avoid anything being able to jump out at me, I kept to the front yards and middle of the streets but was always aware that Fet and the others were probably out trying to find me. After fifteen minutes or so of wandering and calling Fleur’s name, it felt like I had been out for hours. I decided to sit on a wall and try to figure out where I would go if I were Fleur. I was so immersed in my thoughts that I didn’t notice the figure approaching me from the left. It wasn’t until it emitted a loud growl that it clicked. I was about to be attacked by a Strigoi.  
I jumped up and backed away from the creature. It was smaller than the last one I’d encountered but looked further advanced in its transition. It had no hair left and its skin was almost translucent. I held the Poker like a baseball bat, ready to strike as soon as I needed to. The Strigoi tilted it’s head slightly and it’s stinger shot out at lightning speed. I focused on putting all of my strength into my swing as the poker swept through the air and smashed the singer away with a slapping sound. White blood sprayed across the floor as the Strigoi screamed and retracted its damaged appendage. I changed the position of my weapon, now holding it like a spear. As my assailant writhed and tried to shake off the pain, I approached it slowly and took a deep breath, raising my arm, ready to attack.  
Its body was thrown back at least five feet and its chest and face exploded as bullets hit it out of nowhere. I turned to see Quinlan standing behind me, his gun still raised and smoking. I stared at him and felt my body start to relax as the adrenaline left my veins. I knew he’d show up as soon as he learned I’d gone out alone. My breath quickly puffed out of me in white clouds, still not returning to normal after my encounter with Strigoi number 2 since we’d moved.  
“He banished her” I blurted out. My voice sounding louder in the silent street.  
“I know” He said calmly, lowering his gun and slipping it back into his holster. I felt the tears coming again and hated myself for being such an emotional wreck. Quinlan slowly walked towards me, as if expecting me to flee at any moment.  
“I’m not going to run” I sniffed. “I just wanted to find her and bring her back. She should be with me. She’s not like the others” I wiped my nose on the sleeve of Eph’s coat and dropped the poker, it clattered to the floor, echoing against the houses. Quinlan was now a foot away from me and was looking at me sympathetically.  
“But she is a Strigoi, Lana” he said.  
“So are you” I regretted it as soon as the words left my mouth.  
“I’m sorry, I- I didn’t mean that, I-”  
“It’s alright” He placed his hand on my shoulder and gently pulled me closer to him. My body was stiff and reluctant to receive any kind of affection, but Quinlan placed his arm around me anyway.  
“You’re going to freeze to death out here, you need to go back to the house. Come on.” He guided me through the streets, neither of us speaking on the journey. The only noises being his stinger clicking and me constantly sniffing away tears. 

Back at the house, we slowly walked along the front path towards the door. Quinlan held my hand tightly and paused as we reached the front porch. I looked around at the street behind us, hoping to see Fleur following us but it was empty. He let go of my hand, knowing that I wouldn’t want the others to see. My heart felt heavy and quiet rage still bubbled inside me. I had grown incredibly attached to Fleur. She may have been a Strigoi but she was different. She was mine. She had protected and served and not hurt anyone and now she was gone, I missed her dearly.  
Quinlan opened the door and stepped inside, I followed keeping my eyes low. The hallway was quiet. I unzipped Eph’s coat and Quinlan helped me slide it off my shoulders, hanging it on the coat rack behind me. Fet ran in, his eyes wild with worry.  
“You found her! Thank god” He exclaimed.  
“Your god has nothing to do with this” Quinlan seethed “I found her just in time”  
I looked up at Fet but said nothing. He returned my gaze but it was obvious how uncomfortable I was making him.  
“Lana, I’m sorry. I thought it was for the best” he said. I turned on my heels and went up the stairs.  
“For god sakes Lana! Don’t be such a dumb ass! It’s a Strigoi! It could have got us all killed and for what? Because you have some kind of childish fantasy that it’s your pet and it’s never going to hurt anyone! I can’t believe you’re that stupid.” Fet yelled at me. I stopped for a moment but didn’t turn around, choosing instead to remove myself from the situation and carried on up the stairs.  
I stopped on the landing after noticing Quinlan approach Fet. My ears strained to hear, so I sat on the floor and peered through the wooden bars. Quinlan wasn’t quite as tall as Fet but he could squash him like a bug if he wanted to. He held himself with a quiet confidence, a sophistication that meant he looked elegant and classy even when he was angry. He leaned slightly towards Fet until they were shoulder to shoulder. Fet being forced to look at the femur handle of Quinlan’s sword which was sheathed behind his back.  
“Mr Fet. If you ever deem it acceptable speak to her like that again, I will slice your limbs off, drag your bleeding torso into the dark street and feed you to the Strigoi”  
I held my breath and watched as he very slowly moved to face Fet so he could look at his face.  
“I am I making myself clear?”  
There was a long hesitation until Fet finally spoke,  
“Crystal” He said through his teeth.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi All!   
> They are _finally _getting somewhere! Yay!  
>  Once again, keep spurring me on with the comments, they are my inspo to keep going!__

Quinlan took a couple of steps back, keeping Fet firmly in his sight. He felt behind him for the door handle, turned it and left the house. I heard Fet sigh loudly. Not wanting him to notice me, I stood up quietly and went to my room.  
Sitting on my bed I mulled over what had happened. There had been so much loss in my life in such a short space of time, I had latched onto a young Strigoi like a leech, drawing out of her and treasuring anything resembling affection that I could find. Maybe Fet was right, maybe she was too dangerous to have around and maybe I was being stupid. Too wrapped up in my emotions and my own needs to consider anyone else. I wasn’t sure. What I was sure of, was that she was extremely useful...and I missed her.  
Quinlan had been by my side probably for the entire duration of my little outing, I just didn’t see him until he wanted me to. I was taken aback by the savagery of his words towards Fet. I knew he was defending me because he loved me, but the potential violence of it let me feeling unsettled and I had to admit to myself, I felt a sting of sadness for Fet. I understood he was doing what he thought was right, but the deception was something I would find hard to forgive.  
I lay back on the bed, listening to my own heartbeat. A floorboard creaked and I sprung up. Fet’s big frame filled the doorway.  
“I’m sorry” He said sadly.  
“I know” I motioned for him to come in. “I get it”  
He looked surprised  
“You do?”  
“Yeah. You were protecting the group. But she isn’t a danger to us, and you should never have done that behind my back”  
He nodded and paced around in front of me for a few seconds, smoothing his beard with his hand.  
“I uh…didn’t meant to talk to you like shit down there. Heat of the moment.”  
I smiled thinly. “Again, I know. It’s OK”  
I raised an eyebrow as I observed him pace back and forth. Why wasn’t he leaving?  
“Y’know... Quinlan, he uh, he threatened me.”  
I gave him my best fake surprised look and hoped for the best.  
“He did?”  
“Yeah. He was…real angry”  
“I wouldn’t take it to heart” I reassured him.  
“I’m not. I’m suspicious”  
“Of what?” Little red flags were going up all over my mind. Stay calm. Stay calm.  
“His passionate defense of you”  
“Fet, he found me out in the freezing cold, about to be killed by a Strigoi, babbling about my Strigoi pet that you let loose. He saved my life for the fourth time. I’m sure he’s just pissed off with the effort he has to go to keep me alive, then he gets me home and you yell at me. He’s here to kill the master, not to babysit.”  
Fet looked thoughtful and seemed to accept my reasoning, much to my relief. I shrugged off my jacket and curled up on my bed. Taking the hint, Fet approached me, gave me a warm hug and left the room. 

I awoke some hours later, still wearing my clothes and in the same position I’d fallen asleep in. A loud scratching noise echoed around the room, sounding like it was coming from the ceiling. I got up and stood in the center of the room, staring up at the light fixture. The bulb swinging back and forth. The noise went on for at least five minutes before stopping completely and silence filled the room once again. I changed into my oversized shirt, expecting the noise to return, but it didn’t. I climbed back into bed and lay staring at the ceiling until I fell asleep again. 

In the morning, I sheepishly descended the stairs and entered the full dining room. The chatter stopped immediately as everyone saw me, making me feel exposed. So exposed that my arms crept around my body and I found myself in an awkward, defensive self-hug. Quinlan was stood across the room, standing with his usual good posture, staring at me. Dutch rose from her seat and approached me with a coffee.  
“I’m so glad you’re OK. Sorry about Fleur” She said softly, handing me the mug.  
“There was scratching” I blurted out.  
“What?” she asked  
“There was scratching in my room last night. It woke me up. In the middle of the night”  
Setrakian shuffled in his seat so he could see me and Fet moved to stand next to Dutch, in front of me. Eph sat next to the professor, looking over his shoulder.  
“In the roof. Maybe it was rats. Or birds. Or Bats. But it was loud”  
“I’ll go check it out. Maybe somethin’ in the attic” Fet said. If anyone would find out what it was, Fet would. His profession as a pest controller has proved to be extremely handy since the outbreak. He left the room and Dutch sat me down at the table next to her. Quinlan was slowly wandering around the room.  
“I need to meet with Palmer this afternoon. I believe we may be able to strike a deal and get him to tell us where the Master is” The professor said.  
“Is he to be trusted?” Quinlan asked.  
“No” The professor answered curtly. “But he’s our only shot. If he doesn’t follow through with his end of the bargain, I have no doubt that his own body will give up on him before anyone gets the chance to kill him”  
“We need to stockpile ammo and we’re running out of food” Dutch added “I can go scavenging around here. Nice neighborhood like this, there’s bound to be a ton of guns and tinned goods”  
“I’ll go” I mumbled.  
“I can go with Dutch. Once we’ve built a hefty enough armored case for the machine. We don’t know what it’ll have to endure and the last thing we want is for it to smash into hundreds of pieces” Eph Said.  
“Good idea” Dutch nodded.  
“I’ll go” I said, louder this time. Everyone stopped and looked at me. While I would go and get what we needed, I knew the chances of me finding Fleur were greater if I actually went out. There was no way I was going to roll over and accept she was gone without even trying to find her.  
“No, Lana you shouldn’t go out there alone, we have this conversation every time” Dutch said  
“I’ll go” I repeated firmly.  
“Lana, it’s probably best that you-” Eph started  
“I. Will. Go.” I snapped  
Silence filled the room and everyone was waiting for everyone else to speak.  
“Professor, do you require my assistance at your meeting with Palmer?” Quinlan asked, quickly glancing at me and then at Setrakian.  
“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Fet will accompany me” The Professor answered.  
“Then I will go with Lana while the machine is perfected”  
I knew what he was doing. I knew what they were all doing. Treating me like I was made of glass when really the only thing wrong with me was that I was pissed off. I brought a valuable asset into the group, one which we learned from and utilized to our advantage. She was not only handy to have around, she was nice to have around. She’d formed a bond with us and now she’d be turned out on the street.  
Feeling under scrutiny from everyone’s staring, I decided to go and see if Fet had found anything in the attic. Standing up, everyone continued to look at me. I smiled politely, took my mug and wandered through to the hallway. I really wasn’t up for conversation. I began to climb the stairs and noticed Quinlan walk past on his way to the door. He turned to look at me.  
“I’ll meet you here in an hour?” he asked. I nodded and carried on to the top. Listening to the door close downstairs.  
As I rounded the corner, Fet bumped into me.  
“Oh, hey. Nothin’ in the Attic” He said casually. “Checked the whole place, not a scratch, poop, smell, nothin’. Maybe it was coming from the actual roof, outside?”  
His suggestion was entirely plausible, I wasn’t aware of how the roof looked on the outside above my room, if it was possible something had got up there and was clawing at the roof, it was slightly alarming and I hoped it would just be a large rat of some sort.  
“I’ll check it out for you, see if there’s any clues up there” Fet said  
“No, it’s OK. Hopefully it was just a one off. Besides, I hear you’re expensive to hire” I jested, nudging his arm.  
“Yeah, well, you get whatcha’ pay for. Quality don’t come cheap” I laughed quietly and squeezed his arm on the way to my room.

An hour later, I had dressed in the warmest clothes I could find, layer upon layer, heavy boots and a big coat. I had dug out a large bag for any ammo or guns we found and another for food and anything else useful. I had collected my poker from the fireplace and was sat on the bottom step, waiting for Quinlan, my chin propped up on the ball of my hand. I sat there for a couple of minutes, before the front door clicked open and he stepped inside.  
“Are you ready?” He asked, his boots clunking on the floor as he approached me. He picked up the bags and watched as I stood up, smoothing the front of my coat. He was so attractive, all the anger I felt was pushed to the back of my mind when I looked at him. He made everything better, if only for a little while.  
The first house we tried heralded no results, it had either already been ransacked or the previous owners took everything they could fit into their car. I paced through the rooms, opening cupboards and drawers. I collected some batteries, band aids and a bag of pretzels. Quinlan was upstairs and had been there for a while.  
“Quinlan? You find anything?” I shouted from the hall. The sound of smashing glass in a distant room prompted me to run up the stairs. Following the sound, I found Quinlan in a study, stood in front of a smashed cabinet and holding a gun.  
“Useless” he sighed. “Merely used for decoration.” He tossed the gun on the desk and took my hand as he walked out of the room. My heart skipped a beat and I felt a little giddy at the gesture. We walked along the landing to the stairs and made our way to the door, his hand still enveloping mine.  
The path to the next house was winding and bushes and shrubs lined the brick walkway. The porch was shaded by high growing plants and climbers. The interior looked pitch black. I clutched my poker as Quinlan guided me inside, still holding my hand. The inside was messy, the owners had obviously left in a hurry, clothes and boxes peppered the floor in front of the door as Quinlan closed and locked it from the inside.  
“What are you doing?” I asked “There could be Strigoi in here and you’re locking us in?”  
“There are no Strigoi in here” he stated plainly. I furrowed my brow.  
“How do you know that?”  
He squeezed my hand. “Because I have been to this house before”  
I glanced around at the large, dusty building.  
“Why are we here if you’ve already cleared it?”  
“Come with me” He said quietly and led me up the stairs. The entire house was dark and it was hard to see where I was going. If it weren’t for Quinlan guiding me, I’d have bumped into a wall by now. We reached the top of the stairs and walked to the end of the hall. He stopped in front of the closed door at the end for a moment, almost like he was thinking something through in his mind. He took a deep breath and opened the door.  
Inside, there were two candles lit on each nightstand. It was the master bedroom. The windows had been boarded and the drapes drawn. I stood completely still in the doorway. Quinlan gently prized the poker out of my hand and placed it on a chair.  
“What is this?” I asked. He leaned around me, closing the door behind me. I heard a click, he’d locked this door too. He didn’t answer me right away, instead he took off his sword holster and coat and stood in front of me.  
“This is whatever you want it to be. We have an opportunity to spend some time together, so we will fulfill this opportunity in whichever way you choose.”  
I didn’t know what to say, I just looked at him in disbelief. My heart filled with affection for him and a found it hard to stifle a huge smile, letting it spread across my face.  
“You planned this?” I asked. “Is this where you went earlier?”  
“Yes. Although you should know I am making no assumptions and you should not feel obliged to do anything you aren’t comfortable with. I just want to spend time with you”  
I unzipped my coat and slid it from my shoulders, throwing it over my poker on the chair. Walking around the room, I could see that he had done more than light two candles. The rest of the house was covered in a thick layer of dust, but this room was clean, tidy and attended to.  
“I use this room sometimes, for the quiet.” He said, almost reading my mind.  
I shed another layer. A thick fleeced hoodie that also ended up on the chair. I sat on the bed and unlaced my boots, kicking them off and laying back on the soft bed linen. The orange light from the candles flickering across the ceiling. I felt Quinlan sit down next to me. I propped myself up with my elbows so I could see him. He was sat slightly to the side, facing me.  
“Are we actually going scavenging?” I giggled  
“I’ve already been. The kitchen downstairs is full of supplies.” He said “Lana, if you don’t want to stay here with me, you are free to go. I have only locked the door for added security”  
“Quinlan, I want to stay. Of course I want to spend time with you. I think you’re a schemer though” I said, winking at him.  
I shuffled off the bed and stood in front of him, placing my hands on his shoulders. As I admired his features, all the anger and sadness I had felt in the last few hours was forgotten. He had told me he loves the way I look at him, but now I was seeing something in the way he looked at me. He made me feel safe, beautiful and worth something.  
I kissed him lightly and straddled his lap, kneeling on the bed either side of him. His hands rested on the top of my thighs, gently squeezing. His stinger reacted to me and began clicking. He moved back onto the bed, lifting me up as if I was as light as a feather and laying with his head on the pillow. I stopped kissing him and looked down at him, biting my lip.  
“Is it just me, or is there a lot of sexual tension in here?” I whispered.  
Quinlan smiled and lifted the bottom of my shirt over my head, the elastic in my hair caught on the strap as I lifted it over my head and my hair cascaded over my shoulders. I saw his mouth open slightly and I realized there really is nothing sexier than knowing how much you’re wanted. I could see it in his eyes. I slid back slightly and tugged at the bottom of his shirt, telling him that I wanted it gone. He lifted himself up and I helped him pull his shirt over his head, revealing the rippled and toned torso I’d grown to love and crave. The spirals on his throat stood out in the candlelight, I touched them lightly with my fingers, tracing the pattern. Quinlan’s gaze was fixed on my face.  
“How I wish I had met you sooner” He said, pulling me down to his lips. As our mouths hungrily pressed together, he reached up to my back to steady me, before flipping me over and un-clipping my bra in the process. I got the feeling he had done this once or twice before.  
“Are you sure?” He asked, peering down into my eyes, his finger looped over the middle of my bra between my breasts.  
I inhaled deeply and nodded. He pulled his finger towards him, my bra sliding down my arms and over my hands. He threw it on the floor and returned to me, kissing my neck.  
I knew there and then that he made me so weak, I would not be able to stop myself this time, letting him do as he pleased and determined not to let my insecurities ruin this for me. He kissed and nipped at my neck, caressed and gently squeezed my breasts, hardening my nipples and sending tingles all over me. This was too good to be true, surely? He made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, like nothing else mattered except the two of us. I managed to get a hold of his belt buckle, tugging at it until it came loose, he helped me to remove his clothes and before long we were both completely naked and vulnerable to each other. I noticed his amazing skin markings, running my hands all over him, following them and finally getting to see where they lead to. He moved down over me, kissing down my chest, over my stomach and along the inside of my thigh, sending sparks of electricity jumping along my skin. His clicking intensified and pleasure shot through me like fire when he touched between my legs, feeling how ready I was for him. I could feel him pressing urgently against my side. His unexpected and considerable size not being lost on me.  
A moan escaped me, I couldn’t help myself.  
“It turns me on to know that you want me” He said, pushing his fingers inside me. I arched my back and cried out, he licked his lips and watched my reaction, relishing the scene before him.  
My body tingled and warmth spread from where he was touching me. I let him work his magic, while my hands roamed his body, feeling how hard and big he was. I realized that he knew exactly what he was doing, he was an expert with his hands and that meant I wasn’t going to last long. I found myself having to place my mind elsewhere for a few seconds for fear of this all being over before it had even began. He eventually turned me onto my front and pulled me up so we were both vertical, me facing away from him, the room started to feel hot, he was setting my sweat on fire. His hands still roaming my body, I wanted him so badly I could taste it.  
He gently pushed inside me, my lungs rapidly filled with air and electricity tickled at every nerve ending I possessed. There it was…the gasp on the first thrust. So raw, so powerful and what he’d been waiting for. I felt him smile against me as he buried his face in my neck.  
“How I have longed to hear that” He breathed.  
He kept going inch by inch, allowing me to relax after every small thrust. Pleasure spreading from my core right to the tips of my toes. He was bigger than anyone I’d previously been with but he was so gentle. His left hand held onto my left breast, gently rubbing his thumb over my nipple as his right hand circled my clit. When he was fully inside me, he waited for a moment before picking up the pace.  
It was passionate, it was dramatic, and it was sweaty and, unintentionally…loud. Neither of us bashful about vocalizing how good it felt. His groans taking over the clicking from his stinger, making him sound entirely human. Hearing him moan was driving me crazy. He continued to slide into me, as I pushed back to meet him every time, our hands never leaving one another, I felt as though I was clinging to a ledge by my fingertips. I was holding back, wishing I could let myself go. Just as I had convinced myself it was too soon, I felt him harden and throb inside me. His grip on me tightened and he cried out as he climaxed. I let myself join him, he had silenced my mind while making my body scream, my toes curled, my muscles tensed and my whole body ignited. My breath caught in my throat as I twitched and jolted. Warmth spread between my legs and I felt Quinlan let out a short and dirty laugh as he buried his face in my neck. I felt so connected, so close to him that I wanted to stay this way forever. We stayed in the same position, with him still inside me, pulsing as we both tried to catch our breath, exhausted. After a few minutes, he released me and I rolled onto my back. Quinlan lay next to me on his side, watching me, his breathing labored, and his clicking returning intermittently.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> A really long chapter update. I just finished season 4 and am absolutely raging about Q's death. So I decided he's going to have a much better time in this version!  
> Please be warned, there is some serious explicit sexual content in this chapter.  
> Comments always welcome <3

I was so content and happy that I fell asleep and awoke some time later to Quinlan running a finger down my chest. I smiled shyly and sat up, reaching for a blanket that was draped over the bottom of the bed. I covered us both and slid under his arm, resting my head on his chest and draping my arm over his stomach  
“I am delightfully numb. You’ve done that before” I jested. Silence followed. I looked up at him. His mouth was partially open, as if he’d gone to answer me but changed his mind. I had accepted he wasn’t going to respond when he finally spoke.  
“Actually, I haven’t” he said quietly. I couldn’t help it, I sat up slightly to see him my eyes widened. I suddenly felt both guilty and honored, as if I should have known before I went ahead with this. He certainly didn’t act like he’d never done this before. My mind flashed back to the many times he’d successfully turned me into a complete mess just with words let alone touching me.  
“Is that an issue?” He said  
“Well, I feel privileged but also a bit…guilty” I admitted.  
“There is no need to feel guilty. I have free will” he smiled.  
“You know a lot about human sexuality and seduction for someone that’s never done this before. Remember that time in my hotel room when you told me exactly what you wanted? You almost gave me an orgasm there and then and you didn’t even touch me. I don’t think there’s another man alive that’s capable of that.”  
“I am glad you enjoyed it” he laughed “I’m a quick learner but when I am faced with possibly the sexiest woman I have ever seen, it tends to help things along”  
Neither of us spoke for a few minutes, we lay there, stroking each other’s skin. I felt over the bumps and scars on his chest and listened to his stinger purr.  
“You said you’d been in love before…” I said quietly  
“I also said it was complicated” he replied. I lay back on his chest and sighed, sliding my hand across his abs.  
“I did this because I love you” he brushed my hair away from my forehead.  
“You loved her too?”  
“It wasn’t like this. There was not time for things to get this far.”  
His lack of information about the subject was obviously very deliberate and was something he did not want to discuss with me. I was going to have to get used to the fact that I was never going to be given the details about his previous love, no matter how curious I was.  
“Did I hurt you?” He suddenly asked. I was snapped out of my thoughts by the question.  
“Oh Hell no. You were amazing. I don’t get it. How are you so good at everything? Even things you’ve never done before. Usually, your first time is meant to be awkward as shit and really not very good. But you… It’s kind of annoying. Y’know those kids at high school that don’t turn in one assignment all term and don’t study at all and then get excellent grades on tests? That’s you, a natural overachiever”  
He laughed softy.  
“I wasn’t always an ‘overachiever’. Quite the opposite” he said.  
“Why?” I said. I wriggled round onto my front so I could see his face.  
“There was a time when I couldn’t even speak, I didn’t know how. I was caged, the main exhibit of a travelling freak show. Fed on the blood of goats and confined to a metal mask”  
I listened intently. He also shifted on the bed, moving himself to face me more, his hand slid over my back and tickled lines up and down as he spoke.  
“It was 58AD. An old woman came to see me one day, she spoke to the owner of the show and asked to watch me feed. She specialized in Strigoi lore and before long had paid off my captors and took me with her. Her name was Ancharia and she explained my origins to me and my purpose on this earth. She taught me to speak and aided me in discovering my ability to defend both myself and her, which I did, fiercely. I had never been shown such kindness and therefore felt the need to protect her. She educated me and named me.”  
“So she was like a foster mother?” I asked  
“Yes, very much so. Until…”  
“Until what?” I pressed. His face dropped and I sensed sadness emainating from him.  
“We were trapped in a cave, by the Master. Ancharia died, I killed her, and it was both a mercy killing and survival. Not that it helped, but she asked me to. She knew how important I was in stopping the master and wasn’t about to let me starve in there. After that, I moved on and became a gladiator.”  
My eyebrows shot up and my mouth hung open.  
“Human’s had fascinated me since then. Their destructive nature, their emotions and connections to one another. Their willingness to snuff out a life at the swing of a blade for entertainment. I served in the Roman Legion’s as ‘Quintus Sertorius’, but I have been known by many other names. Soon, the territory became French and my name was Gallicized to what it is now. During my time as a Gladiator, I became a student of human behavior and instinct. It entirely possible that I understand humans more than humans understand themselves.”  
“You lost me at gladiator” I admitted. “That’s hot”  
He laughed again. “You wouldn’t have thought so back then. After that I tried to live a simple life. I have been to many continents and cities, I stayed in London for a while.”  
I smiled and shifted up the bed so I my face was level with his.  
“You’ve had quite the life, Mr. Sertorius. I am boring in comparison”  
“There is no comparison. You have not lived for two thousand years” He said, taking my hand and kissing it. “Also, one man’s nothing is another man’s everything. So it is not fair to assume you have not led an interesting life. Why don’t you tell me about it and we shall see?”  
I was painfully aware how shallow and conceited my life would seem after Quinlan’s revelations, no matter how much he tried to convince me that wasn’t the case.  
“Um…well it’s funny you said you ended up in London. I was actually born in London. My father is English. I spent the first fifteen years of my life there before moving to New York because my mother wanted to. You probably noticed my accent is kinda weird.”  
“I had noticed a difference to most New York accents, yes” he smiled  
“Well…I was a wild teenager, got into trouble, loved danger. I spent a few years running away and hanging around with Bikers and not going to school, moving from one poisonous relationship to another. I guess I always felt out of place, like I couldn’t settle. I was happy in London and I was forced to move and leave the life I had for this new one so I felt a bit disjointed and like I didn’t fit in anywhere. I was self-destructive, into drugs, drank too much, and got a bit…promiscuous. Anyway, eventually my uncle moved over here too, and that was great because he was my hero. He never married or had kids. He took me to these crazy art exhibitions and we’d sit in the local coffee house for hours or in the park and smoke a ton of cigarettes just watching the sky. I was closer to him than either of my parents, especially my mother, who I always resented. When he died of cancer, he left me his entire estate and I quit smoking. I bought my own apartment with it and got myself a job in a publishing house. I actually started to accept that not all change had to be bad. My life was starting to come together when the outbreak began. My boyfriend at the time got turned. I had to kill him with a carving knife and there was a lot of screaming and I have been talking for a long time, you really need to learn to stop me when I do this”  
He looked at me thoughtfully for a few moments.  
“You have told me previously that you are inexperienced…” He said  
“That’s the thing you picked up on?! I am, when it comes to being with someone I actually care about.” I corrected. Now he knew how conflicted and complicated I was. Now he knew about my past. But now, it didn’t matter. The world wasn’t the same anymore and neither was I, mainly thanks to him.  
“I could listen to your strange accent for a long time.” He said  
I giggled and sat up, drawing the blanket around my chest.  
“Shouldn’t we get back? We must have been here a while” I said.  
“Yes. We should” he replied. I climbed over him under the blanket and felt him run his hands down my back as I moved over him. He held me in place and kissed me roughly before letting me go. I wandered around the room, picking up various pieces of clothes. Bundling them all up in my arms I looked back at Quinlan, who was now leaning back on his elbows. He was watching me like a lion watches a deer.  
“Stop looking at me like that” I said, throwing a sock at him.  
“Looking at you like what?”  
“Like you want to eat me”  
His eyes narrowed and he glared at me, a dirty smirk creeping across his face.  
“I do…” He admitted. “But not with my Stinger”. 

It was late afternoon when we got back to the house. Quinlan had been holding my hand on the walk back and dutifully let go as we approached the steps. He carried two huge bags of supplies on his bag, refusing to let me help. I opened the door to find Dutch and Eph in the hall, examining two big sheets of transparent plastic. Quinlan dropped the two bags on the carpet and closed the door behind us.  
“Looks like you two had a successful day” Eph said, unzipping one bag full of guns and ammo. “Nice!”  
I shot Quinlan a look, finding it hard not to smile. He quickly looked away, obviously struggling with the same thing. I noticed Dutch glaring at me with an eyebrow raised. Wanting to avoid any scrutiny, I pulled my coat off and hooked it onto the coat rack in the corner. Quinlan went to leave when Eph stopped him.  
“Quinlan? I believe these are yours” he said, throwing a box of Uzi ammo in his direction. He caught the box comfortably with one hand and nodded politely to Eph.  
“You found Uzi ammo?” I asked, slightly surprised.  
“One would be surprised at what the average suburban American hides under the bed” he said. I realized that I could have just let the proverbial cat out of the bag, or at least implied I wasn’t with him at some point during our trip.  
“We should go scavenging more often” I said to Quinlan, playfully prodding at his usually unbreakable composure “We make quite the team, you and I”  
He observed me quietly for a moment before answering.  
“That we do, Lana” A brief smile swept across his face before he walked to the kitchen.  
I turned back to Eph and Dutch. Eph was now halfway through the second bag and Dutch hadn’t moved an inch, her suspicious eyebrow still raised. I mouthed the words ‘stop it’ at her, she grinned.  
“How goes the box for the machine?” I asked.  
“Great, we have the material we need to make it, so it shouldn’t be long before its finished and I can get my son back” Eph said, into the bag. I felt a sting of panic rise in my chest. The sooner everything came together; the sooner I was going to lose Quinlan. It was inevitable, but I wanted to savor every moment as much as I could, especially now we had…really connected. I decided to follow him into the kitchen. 

He was stood at the kitchen window, his Uzi’s in front of him on the counter top and his sword holster in his hand. He seemed to be staring out into the back yard and enjoying the solitude that I was about to ruin.  
“How long are we going to keep up this charade?” He asked, keeping his gaze fixed out of the window.  
“What do you mean?” I asked  
“I mean, how long are we going to hide what is happening between us?” He said, turning around to face me. I slumped down on a chair at the kitchen island and sighed.  
“I don’t know. I’m sorry Quinlan, I know it’s…irritating you”  
“It is not irritating me. I will do whatever you wish. I was simply enquiring as to whether you had any plans to tell anyone”  
“Oh, she’s told someone” Said Dutch from the doorway. I shot up and spun round, relieved to see that she was alone.  
“Jesus, Dutch” I breathed.  
“Well, what’s you answer? I want to know too. As much as I’ve been happy to keep your little secret, it’s getting to be quite the burden to bare. Especially now you’re making ‘come to bed eyes’ across the room and doing questionable things under tables”  
“You saw that?!” I exclaimed  
“C’mon, I’ve played footsie once or twice in my life and I know lust when I see it”  
My mouth hung open. I quickly glanced over my shoulder at Quinlan. Usually calm and composed, he actually looked uncomfortable, his head lowered and his eyes briefly dropped to the floor before desperately finding something to look at that wasn’t going to make him feel awkward.  
Dutch was now looking at us both with her accusatory eyebrow again. Her eyes moving from Quinlan to me and then back again.  
“You’ve had sex” She blurted out.  
“How do you _do _that?!” I asked. “How do you just _know _shit like that?!”____  
“Honestly” I heard Quinlan say through his teeth from behind me.  
“Lana, you’re going to get found out. You have to tell the others”  
“We will…I will. In my own time. Please, just don’t say anything, OK?”  
She signed and nibbled her bottom lip. “Look, I’m happy for you guys. As worried as I was that you were falling for someone that’s destined to die, I just…” She looked at Quinlan “I know you make her happy and you’ve gone above and beyond to protect her. So I’ll keep your damn secret. Just tell the others before they find out some other way.”  
I heard Quinlan approach me from behind. He placed his hand on my shoulder.  
“Thank you” he said to Dutch.  
“You’re welcome. Now go away so I can grill Lana on all the gory details”  
I laughed and squeezed Quinlan’s hand on my shoulder.  
“There will be no grilling, Dutch. Sorry”  
Quinlan retrieved his guns and sword holster and stopped in front of me.  
“I have to go out anyway. Stay in the house” He said, kissing the top of my head and leaving the room. I sighed and sat down again.  
“So, how was it?” Dutch pressed. I had decided that some things needed to remain sacred and she was not going to drag any gory details out of me. If as much for Quinlan’s sake than my own.  
“I’m not talking about this” I grinned at her. “Just leave it”  
She placed a mug under the coffee machine and hit the button. The machine chugged to life, clicking and boiling sounds emanating from its small tank on the back.  
“I’m keeping this huge secret of yours! I mean, let’s just acknowledge the elephant in the room here. You had some adult nap time with a half Strigoi who is fully equipped and you aren’t going to give me any information?!”  
“Nope” I said casually. She pulled her mug out of the coffee machine and sat opposite me, warming her hands on the hot ceramic. I decided that there was no way out of this other than to simply remove myself from the situation. So I stood up.  
“Just tell me one little thing…Was he good?” She pleaded.  
I looked out into the middle of the room, daydreaming for a moment. Flashbacks of our bodies entwined and the way he touched my skin consumed my mind.  
“It was incredible….He was incredible”. I said before leaving her alone at the kitchen counter. 

That night, I was curled up on the couch watching a DVD with Eph, who had taken a break from working on the machine. We didn’t have much of a choice of DVD’s, the previous occupants obviously didn’t have much of a passion for film-making. So we were reduced to watching an illegally copied documentary about the wildest weather in the world. I had to admit, I didn’t much care what we watched, and being able to do something almost normal was something we all craved. Eph sat in a big armchair next to the couch that I occupied. He was working his way through a bottle of bourbon.  
“Y’know, you’re meant to sip that” I said. He gave me a look that told me he would drink his damn drink however he wanted. He reached behind him where a huge glass cabinet filled with expensive crystal sat. He slid a glass tumbler along the shelf and filled it, passing it to me.  
“Here, you can sip yours”  
We clinked glasses and I did sip the strong brown liquid. It was surprisingly smooth and tasted pretty good considering I really wasn’t a bourbon fan.  
“Strange isn’t it? It’s like the whole world thought that something like weather, Mother Nature, would be the thing to destroy the planet. When really it’s some ancient asshole with a stinger and a god complex.” He said.  
“Careful, that’s Quinlan’s daddy you’re talking about” I quipped. He glanced at me and we both laughed.  
On the screen, a very wet looking man with a cheap suit stood on the side of a jetty, waves crashing all around him while he made desperate attempts to speak into what looked like a very broken and water damaged microphone. Fighting a losing battle, I thought, just like humanity right now.  
“You miss Zach” I said. Eph’s eyes moved from the screen to the carpet in front of him. He nodded sadly and knocked back the rest of his drink.  
“We’ll find him, Eph”.  
“That’s if he even wants to be found” He said “He’s with his mother, she’s turned, we know that much. The master controls all of them, god knows what he’s got him believing if it’s said through her. He was always close to his mother. He’ll believe anything she says”  
I observed the man before me, broken and tired but still trying because he loved his kid.  
“He’s lucky to have a dad like you.” I said. He looked at me gratefully.  
I reached down to the floor where I was keeping the bag of pretzels I’d found earlier in the day. I took three and shoved them in my mouth. No need for etiquette in the apocalypse.  
“Prwezshel?” I said through my mouth of food, holding out the bag to Eph. He obliged and emptied a few onto the arm of the chair before throwing the bag back to me.  
While I had this alone time with Eph, I really wanted to tell him about Quinlan and I.  
“Eph…have you ever wanted to tell someone something but felt like you couldn’t because you were afraid of their reaction?”  
He thought for a moment while he filled his glass. I sipped my drink again and waited.  
“That’s the story of my personal life. Maybe not my professional one. The CDC don’t take too kindly to their staff lying to them.” He said and looked over at me.  
“Why? You got a confession?”  
The words were sat on the end of my tongue with their bags packed and ready to go. But the gate to their freedom remained shut.  
“No, I was just wondering. Y’know, while we’re sat here being philosophical”  
He smiled and took another mouthful of drink.  
“I remember this! I was there when that happened!” he said pointing at the TV, which I had now completely lost interest in.

Two nights passed and the scratching in my ceiling had grown louder and was starting to worry me. On the second night, I called Fet in to listen to it. He admitted it was unlike anything he’d heard and sounded bigger than a Rat or another kind of rodent. As the two of us stood there in the darkness staring at the cracked paintwork, I started to wonder if I should sleep downstairs in the living room from now on. It was so loud it was impossible to sleep through and Eph, who slept in the next room had even woken up from his drunken slumber asking what the hell it was.  
“It’s not like it’s confined to one place” Fet said, pacing the carpet and listening intently.  
“Whatever’s up there is moving around” I whispered. Feeling as thought I had to be quiet in case something heavy and dangerous suddenly plummeted through the ceiling on top of us.  
“I think you should take my room for the night, I’ll take the couch” Fet said.  
“No it’s OK, I’ll take the couch. I might finish watching that awful DVD I started watching with Eph earlier, I fell asleep halfway through.”  
“OK, as long as you’re sure. Yell if you need me” He said, squeezing my shoulder as he passed.  
I took my blankets and pillow and trundled down the stairs into the darkness.

In the morning, I awoke with a sore neck and freezing cold. There was no sign of Quinlan. I hadn’t seen him properly in two days, he’d been out a lot and we had only managed one stolen kiss on the front porch in all that time. That is, aside from the time he brought a bag of Cheetos to my room.  
“I found them while I was out. They’re cheese flavored, you told me you like cheese” He stated plainly. It took me a good ten minutes to stop laughing, much to his bemusement. I missed him.  
I shuffled off of the couch and wrapped my blanket around me while hugging my pillow and climbed the stairs. In my room, I stood, mouth agape at the ceiling. The paintwork was in a worse state than before, the carpet was peppered with white flakes from above and the plaster appeared cracked and strained. There was definitely something up there and whatever it was, was a damn sight heavier than a Rat. Knowing there was nothing I could do at that moment. I took a shower, and changed. Black jeans and a Motorhead t-shirt that I’d been extremely surprised to find in a drawer in my room.  
I heard the front door click shut. I quietly shuffled out onto the landing and peered down into the hall. I stopped breathing for a second when I noticed what was happening.  
Quinlan was stood with a leash in his hand, attached to that leash was a small figure covered in a large coat. Quinlan removed the coat. It was Fleur. Her clothes filthy and covered in blood. Fet stood in front of them. The two men appeared to be having some kind of conversation. Fet’s body language spoke volumes about his dislike of Quinlan. That was going to be a huge problem when he found out that the half-breed he so hated, was in love with his best friend. Quinlan handed Fleur’s leash to Fet, who held Quinlan’s gaze for a minute or so and turned to walk up the stairs, I quickly ran back to my room. Excitement bubbling inside me.  
Fet gently pushed my door open slightly.  
“Knock, knock” he said.  
“Hey, come in” I said, trying not to jump about like an overexcited five year old.  
“I have someone who wants to see you” He said, pushing the door open fully to reveal Fleur. She knew I was there straight away, lunging forwards and pulling on the leash.  
“Fleur!” I cried, feeling tears well in my eyes. I knelt on the floor as Fet let go of the leash. Fleur crouched in front of me a placed her small hand on my knee. Her fingers were mutilated and torn. Her head twitched and her stinger growled.  
“She’s a sight for sore eyes, huh?” Fet said. I looked up and smiled at him, a tear escaping from my eye and racing down my cheek. Fleur bobbed and fidgeted in front of me. Her clothes were stained a dark red and she smelled of blood. I gently stroked her balding head and squeezed her tiny hand before standing up.  
“Look, Quinlan…he was the one that found her. He wanted me to tell you that I did, for the sake of our friendship. But I aint the kind of guy to take another man’s glory. He’s been out every night since lookin’ for her. So it’s him you have to thank. I’m just sorry I let her go in the first place”  
I stepped towards him and gave him a hug.  
“It’s OK” I said  
“Oh, and you can sleep in your own room tonight. Little miss here is responsible for the scratching and the damage. Quinlan found her on the roof, tempted her down with a blood bag. She’s lucky she was in an alcove or she’d have been barbequed by now.”  
I spun around to look at the strange little creature that I had grown so attached to. She had been up on that roof the whole time, trying to get back to me. She had grown attached to me too.  
“Anyways, ima leave you to it. We’re gettin’ together downstairs to discuss the plan.” Fet said, stepping out of the room.  
“Thanks” I shouted after him.

After taking Fleur back to the basement, cleaning up the mess and changing her clothes, it was frustrating me that I couldn’t thank Quinlan properly for what he’d done. Looking around me in the basement, I approached a workbench, ripped the corner from the washer dryer instruction book and took a pen from the cork noticeboard above.  
“The attic. After the meeting” I wrote before folding it neatly into a square and making my way to the dining room.  
I felt like I was walking into a military meeting, everyone was stood bolt upright and looking concerned. Eph and Dutch’s machine was sat in the middle of the table, now encased in a thick see-through case with a metal frame. I approached the table and stood as close to Quinlan as possible. Setrakian was speaking.  
“So we can now use this to interrupt the Masters communica-”  
“Ooh! Is this the finished machine?!” I interrupted loudly.  
Five shocked faces spun towards me.  
“Uh…Yeah” Eph said.  
“Oh…sorry.” I said “carry on!”  
I watched as everyone eventually turned back to watch Setrakian. Now I knew no one was looking at me, I took my moment, and slid the piece of paper between Quinlan’s fingers. I felt him jolt slightly, until he realized what I was doing. He slipped the note into his pocket and I turned on my heels and left the room.

I waited for around half an hour in the attic, I’d have waited hours just to see Quinlan. I was cursing myself for not bringing a sweater though, it was cold and I could feel a breeze through the walls. Eventually, Quinlan entered the attic. I awkwardly played with the belt loops on my jeans as he walked towards me.  
“I could have been in the CIA or something. That was stealthy. I mean it could have been executed better, I was a bit bull in a china shop but I still got the job do-”  
“Shut up” He said as he pulled me towards him and kissed me with such urgency it almost felt rough, but in a very good way. When his lips left mine, he still held me close to him. His left hand cradling the side of my face and his right arm around my waist.  
“I have missed you” he whispered, his thumb lightly brushing my cheek below my eye.  
“I missed you too.” I said. I felt his grip on me loosen slightly, he removed his hand from my face and his arm slid from my waist, he took my hand instead.  
“I know it was you who found Fleur. I know you went looking for her every night and I know you wanted Fet to pass off your find as his own. Why would do that?”  
He brushed a strand of hair from my eyes, running his fingers through my hair.  
“Whatever kind of soul I have, seeing you sad tore it apart. I feel like it is my sole responsibility to pick you up when you are down. I know how much your friendship with Mr. Fet means to you, and to him. So I attempted to try to repair the damage.”  
“He still got to see what he thought was my first reaction to seeing her. That means something to him. What he doesn’t know, is that I saw you come in with her and hand him that leash. I knew it was you all along. What you did, for me, for Fleur…for Fet. It was selfless and thoughtful and admirable. You’re a good man, Quinlan.”  
He took my other hand, now holding both of them up to his chest, enveloping my small fingers in his.  
“It is you that has made me a man. Before you, I was the Half-Breed, The Born, the Fifth Invictus, the Night Demon of Sicily and many other things, but I was never a man. You showed me how important it is to embrace that side of my nature.”  
“Yeah, well I can’t take all the credit” I joked, rolling my eyes. He kissed me again.  
As I pulled away, I noticed Setrakian stood in the attic doorway, blinking at us. Quinlan let go of one of my hands, but he kept the other firmly in his grasp at his side. I took a deep breath and tried to quell the anxiety that was building in my mind. It was just The Professor, I told myself. He wasn’t going to make a scene; he knew Quinlan had feelings for me from the start.  
“Ahh, excuse me. I shall be out of your way shortly” he said as he ambled into the room. There was a long silence. “Who else knows about this?” he asked.  
“Just Dutch. And I’d like to keep it that way, for now” I said.  
“Very well. I shall say nothing, although I am not sure how Mr. Fet will react to this…situation. He sees you like a younger sister, Lana” He stopped by a large trunk on the floor, sat on a box next to it and began rummaging through it.  
“Yeah, I know” I mumbled.  
“I have to say Mr, Quinlan…” he paused as he pulled something out of the box, he examined it and placed it back inside.  
“…I am surprised you took my advice. I had assumed you were as stubborn as a mule”  
Quinlan smiled slightly “That I am professor. It takes something quite profound to change my mind”  
He looked up at Quinlan and nodded thoughtfully. Then at me.  
“Tell me young lady, is Mr. Quinlan doing right by you?”  
I grinned and squeezed Quinlan’s hand. “He is”  
“Well then, I do not see why this should be problem. As long as you are still focused” He pointed at Quinlan with a large toy boat that he’d found in the box.  
“Of course, professor” Quinlan answered politely.  
“What are you looking for?” I asked.  
“Weights. Heavy things, to put in the bottom of the box, so it can be weighed down.” He replied  
“Weighed down?”  
Setrakian looked at me with excitement in his eyes, like a child on his birthday.  
“Yes.” He said “we are going to sink the bastard”

Quinlan had helped the professor down the stairs with some weights for the box before meeting me in my room. He stood in the doorway as I pulled my boots on and wrapped my scarf around my neck.  
“Going somewhere?” He asked, his hands clasped in front of him.  
“Yes. We’re going scavenging” I said, frantically pulling on a coat and zipping it up.  
“We are?” He asked.  
“Yes”  
He stepped into the room and stood in front of me.  
“Are we really going scavenging?” he said quietly. I stopped messing about with my clothes and looked at him. Saying nothing and hoping he would get the message. A blank look still occupied his face after a few moments. I locked eyes with him and sighed before I slowly moved my hand under my scarf and unzipped the top of my coat, then my jacket underneath. I watched as his eyes wandered down and stepped forward so my body was pressed against his, sliding my hand up his chest, over his shoulder and to the back of his neck, I whispered in his ear.  
“If you co-operate, I’ll show you the rest of this”  
I slowly moved my scarf out of the way to reveal the pale flesh of my chest and the black lace of my bra. Quinlan inhaled loudly and lifted a hand to touch me, only to be stopped by me grabbing his wrist.  
“No. Not yet” I said, zipping my clothes back up and winking at him.  
“Tease” He growled.  
I left the room and descended the stairs, listening to his heavy boots following me down and feeling the familiar exciting nervousness that consumed me when I was with him.  
Fet was in the hallway, sorting the guns. He glanced up at us both as we stepped down the bottom steps then focused his attention on Quinlan with an aggressive stare. I grabbed an empty bag.  
“We’re going scavenging. Any requests?” I said.  
“No, thanks” he answered, not taking his eyes off Quinlan.  
“OK, let’s go!” I said, opening the front door.  
“Keep a close eye on her. She gets hurt and I’ll kill you” Fet hissed through his teeth. I sighed loudly, so he could hear me. While I always appreciated Fet’s need to protect and look after me, it was becoming more like a dick measuring contest and one I was growing increasingly tired of witnessing. Quinlan was no better, threatening Fet with extreme violence and actually enjoying their little spats. I was starting to think that maybe they didn’t get along, because they were so similar.  
“You would be a fool to even try” Quinlan smirked, bumping Fet’s shoulder as he passed, slamming the door behind him.  
I stood and looked at Quinlan. The smirk growing on his face.  
“You two need to stop this” I scolded and rolled my eyes.

I had actually intended on collecting some things. Quinlan followed me around impatiently while I raided cupboards and drawers in the dark house that I knew was going to be our secret rendezvous place from now on. Stuffing my bag with all sorts of crap, I figured that if I survived this nightmare, I’d be better off stockpiling as much stuff as possible. The bathroom turned up some great results. Razors, Shower Gel, Shampoo that smelled like strawberries. While material things had become less important to all of us, we all had to admit we still liked to indulge every now and then. It helped to put things in perspective and made us appreciate what really was important. Friendship, love, survival and hope. Quinlan had little need for anything material other than his weapons and the clothes on his back. He looked completely puzzled when I flipped the lid of the Strawberry shampoo and took a long sniff, closing my eyes and imagining how amazing having fruity hair would be compared to the hotel shampoo I had been using for months. I snapped the lid shut again and moved onto one of the bedrooms. The closet contained what I considered to be quite the trophy…a leather biker jacket that fit me perfectly. I squealed with happiness as I took my coat off, discarded it on the floor, slid the biker jacket on and twirled about in front of the mirror. I’d owned one just like it that had been covered in worm-filled Strigoi blood after I had knifed my then turned boyfriend in the eye. If I was totally honest with myself, he was that much of a jerk I was more upset that my jacket had been ruined.  
Quinlan observed me quietly from the doorway as I began pulling t-shirts out of a drawer. It was like I was rooting through my own clothes, a myriad of band t-shirts and black pants. I put them all in a pile, knelt on the floor and started stuffing them in my bag.  
“Lana, you have more clothes than everyone else combined.” Quinlan said.  
“Oh I know, but most of them are not mine and have just been picked up along the way. I left a lot of my stuff back at the first apartment. These…these are much more my style.”  
“This is not a fashion show”  
“No, you’re right. It’s not. But the one thing I am clinging onto with the last bit of my sanity, is being able to be myself. We have moved from place to place, scavenging what we can. For the past few months I’ve looked like a soccer mom on the school run, I’m currently living in some teenage girl’s bedroom and it looks like a unicorn farted in it. Pink shit and quotes all over the place. Do you know what I had on my bedroom wall in my own apartment? Giant posters of classic horror movies. I was amazed I found a Motorhead T-shirt in one of her drawers, although I suspect she only owned it because she thought it made her look edgy.”  
I rambled on as I continued to stuff my bag full of T-shirts.

“It took me a hell of a long time to figure out who I am. I am a closet romantic, I like my own company, I immerse myself in the world of oddities and dark things, and I don’t follow the crowd. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve accepted that…I’m just a little weird, that is something that shouldn’t change and that’s OK. So y’know what? So the world can literally fall apart around me, and I may have to watch from my unicorn fart of a room but I’ll be damned if I’m not wearing a washed out Misfits T-shirt and this fucking beautiful biker jacket while it happens.”  
I zipped the bag shut, slapped the top of it with my hand and stared at him. I had done it again, another long speech. I really needed to learn to communicate in shorter sentences. Quinlan stepped into the room and picked up my bag.  
“Clothes do not define who you are” He said.  
“Then maybe you should ditch the badass Strigoi hunter look and go fight the master in a pink tutu” I grinned.  
“Touché” he replied.  
I let him hurl my big bag of goodies over his shoulder and walked into the next bedroom. The room that I knew was to become our secret meetings bedroom. I glanced at the messy sheets and candles on the night stands and remembered just how much fun I’d had the last time I was here. Quinlan slowly walked in behind me and closed the door, his boots thumping on the wooden floor. He dropped the bag on the chair and also observed the messy bed as I had. I picked up a box of matches next to one of the candles and lit them both, the dim, orange light filled the room.  
“I believe I am due my reward for cooperating” Quinlan said from behind me. I turned to face him, shook my head and laughed.  
“Hmm…” I mused “I suppose you have been patient enough”  
I took off my jacket and threw it on top of my bag on the chair. Standing close to him, I took his hand and placed it on the zipper of my hoodie. His stinger came to life and began growling as he slowly pulled the zip down, and opened it. His eyes roamed my chest and he tilted his head slightly. I was wearing a black lace balcony bra that he obviously approved of. I watched as one side of his mouth curled into a dirty smile.  
“For my benefit?” He whispered.  
“Oh no, it was just something I had…laying around” I said as I pulled at his sword holster. He got the hint and removed it along with his coat and waistcoat. I felt slightly nervous when he stood before me for a number of minutes, completely still and saying nothing. Suddenly, he grabbed my waist and picked me up, my legs wrapped around him and my chest level with his face. He buried his face between my breasts and began kissing his way up to my neck and back down again. I slid my jacket off and pushed him closer still with my hand on the back of his head. He held me firmly in place with one arm underneath me and the other across my back, making me feel as light as a feather. The only sounds in the room being his heavy breathing and the sound of him hungrily kissing my skin. I bowed my head and his lips met mine, gently brushing against one another. I kicked off my boots behind his back and they thudded against the floor as his hand left my back and moved to my front, where he tracked a line back and forth over the top of my bra while studying my face. I was now only being held by one of his arms, still feeling completely secure and in no danger of being dropped.  
“Tell me you are mine” He breathed. His tone serious and full of lust. I bit my lip. I was going to make him wait. When he realized I wasn’t going to answer he stepped towards the bed, lay me down and took off his boots. I watched in glee as he pulled his tight top over his shoulders and kneeled over me, his imposing figure exciting and arousing me. He unbuckled his belt which was out of the belt loops in a split second. I swallowed hard when he undid his pants and leaned over me with a focused and determined expression. Before I could even register it, my jeans had been unbuttoned, unzipped and were halfway down my legs. He threw them on the floor and marveled at the fact that I had been considerate enough to make sure my underwear matched.  
“I see from your black lace that it is not I that has decided what is to happen in this room today” He uttered.  
I ran my hand down his chest, feeling his stinger reacting to me and vibrating furiously. He grabbed my face with one hand and lowered himself so his lips were millimeters away from mine.  
“I won’t ask again. Tell me that you are mine”. He growled.  
His need for me to submit to him, to submit to his ownership over me coupled with his very deliberate, rougher approach turned me on. His self-confidence and assurance was something I found both enviable and extremely sexy. He was an expert at his craft, a craft he had not even practiced.  
“I am yours” I said quietly. I knew without having to ask that the chances of any other woman having said that to him in his entire life were very slim. Quinlan was from a different era, an age in which men owned their women and marriage was cemented only by the birth of the first child. He no longer lived in those times and had adapted, that much was true, but it was obvious to me that sexually, he needed to feel that he was in control and that I, now his companion and his lover, belonged to him and him only. It was absolutely fine by me.  
He stopped and looked down at me, studying my face held in his big hand. I felt his grip loosen and he slid his fingers down my neck and across my breasts, locking his eyes with mine. I noticed a flicker of uncertainty in him, which was a rare sight in someone as self-assured as him.  
“So much self-control…” He whispered to himself, his hand prowling all over my body, up and down my waist, over my breasts, along the outside of my thigh and up the inside, pressing his fingers firmly between my legs and causing my whole body to jolt with pleasure, a moan escaped my lips. He shifted on the bed, lowering himself on top of me so I could feel how hard he was, pressing heavily on my clit. I ached and writhed underneath him, craving him, needing him. I could still see that he was unsure of just how far to push me.  
“Quinlan, it’s OK ” I managed to say, trying to catch my breath.  
“You should know, I don’t want to ‘make love’ to you, nor do I want to ‘have sex’… I want to fuck you. I need to fuck you”  
His stare was intense and determined, looking right into my soul. He was testing me to see how far I would go and I was about to surprise him.  
“You want to fuck me? Then do it. Own me” I said. He studied me for a moment, trying to find any hint that I may be getting in too deep or about to embark on something I couldn’t handle. There wasn’t one. Neither of us had the time to waste. I trusted him completely and I loved him with everything I had.  
“I’m going to fuck you like I hate you…remember that I love you” He said.  
He kissed me roughly again, slightly nibbling on my bottom lip, his hands feeling their way down to my hips. I draped my arms over his shoulders and let him take the lead, curious to see what he would do. Grabbing the black lace of my panties he slid them down my legs and returned to me, plunging his index and middle fingers inside me, causing me to buck and cry out. His other hand pressed on my chest, pinning me to the bed. The rest of his hand closed around my pussy and he began to move his fingers inside me, pressing on my G-spot, making a wet, sucking sound, teasing me and making me moan.  
“This… is mine; are we clear?” He growled.  
“Y-yes” I stammered between moans. I managed to open my eyes briefly to see the muscles of his chest and his jaw clenched, his expression fierce, looking down at me like he was going to destroy me. It was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. I gripped onto his arm, closing my fingers over his bicep and digging my nails in. Then, I felt his mouth on my clit, licking and sucking, biting and driving me crazy as his fingers inside continued to push me to the brink. I moaned louder, letting him know how good it was. The sound was music to his ears, raw and intense noises caused only by him. He suddenly pulled away and moved over me, removing his pants and pressing the tip of his hard cock against my now pulsing clit. The skin on my chest ignited as he bit and kissed my breasts. Pain from his teeth searing through me and dancing with the electric tingling of pleasure in my nerve endings. I moved to pull a strap down to remove my bra but he caught and gripped my wrist.  
“Leave it on” He ordered. He grabbed at my face again, pushing a finger against my lips as he sucked on my neck. I felt him stir between my legs, lining himself up. I gasped loudly as he drove into me with powerful ferocity. He clamped a hand over my mouth and made sure I felt every single inch of him, pushing in as deep as he could and growling in my ear. The feeling of him filling me so deeply and hearing how good it made him feel only served to make me want more. He pulled back and thrust into me again, and again, each time it seemed harder, deeper more brutish. He fixed his hand around my throat and squeezed as he slammed into me. Explosions of pain and pleasure coursed through my veins. My hands clawed for a handhold on the sheets as he took me. Quinlan found both of my wrists with his free hand and held them above my head, locking me to the bed, rendering me unable to move along with his grip on my throat. He was performing like an expert, this was what I wanted, If I could have spoken properly, I’d have said ‘Yes, make me feel like there is nowhere to go, control me, make sure I can still feel you for hours afterwards’. His pace quickened and he maintained the power of his thrusts. I could hear his breathing quivering and gasping as his stinger rattled loudly. Sweat began to bead on my chest and forehead. He pulled out of me, flipped me over and re-entered me with just as much urgency, only now he was hitting different parts of me inside, pleasure shot through me, knocking the breath out of me. My wrists were gripped behind my back like a vice, he used them to pull me back and ensure he was as deep as he could go on each impact. He wound his other hand in my hair and yanked my head back, my mouth opened in a soundless scream, and airless breath. I had no thoughts, I could only feel. His moans of pleasure became louder and more frequent. I felt like I’d slipped into a different realm, a realm where nothing else existed other than his touch and his need. Now feeling stretched and sore, it only made me want more which he seemed to be able to sense as he carried on, to my surprise, even faster and harder. The length and level of his arousal was ruthless. His hand left my wrists and reached around to my front, where he rubbed and clawed at my swollen clit as he drove into me. My hair was released and began to stick to the sweat on my back, he returned to his grip on my throat.  
“Tell me you are mine” He demanded. I could feel myself approaching the edge.  
“I-I’m yours” I choked.  
I was so wet, I was so turned on and I was so ready to let go.  
Quinlan let go of my throat again and pulled on one of my bra straps behind my shoulder, pinging it against my skin.  
“This. Off. Now” He said. I managed to unclip the back and throw it across the bed as his hand grabbed at my breasts, tugging on my nipples, which proved to be just about all I needed to head to a climax. I knew that when this hit me, it was going to be staggering.  
“Quinlan…I…I”  
“No. Not yet. I need to see your face.” He said, pulling out of me and turning me back over. If he stopped, I was ready to beg him to carry on his mind-blowing work. He separated my legs and pushed into me again, lowering his body onto mine as I wrapped my legs around him. He had left enough room for his hand to carry on its work on my clit, flicking and rubbing with every thrust. He began to fuck me so fast and hard the bed creaked and strained under us and his groans became louder still, telling me that I was the reason he was crying out in ecstasy. I couldn’t hold off any longer, I dug my nails into his back and began to feel the buildup. Noticing the change in me, he slowed down but thrusted in deeper, latching onto my neck with his teeth. Just as I tipped over the edge, I felt him pause and throb inside me. An explosion of pleasure coursed over my body. A massive, long-awaited, released wave of tingling goodness coupled with the pain between my legs and in my neck that made my toes curl, my eyes roll back and my back arch. I tried to catch my breath as my orgasm passed. Quinlan locked eyes with me as he came, his addictive and seductive groans cut through to my soul, he continued to push inside me gently as he twitched with enjoyment. I reached up and pulled his face closer to mine, kissing him passionately. The muscles inside me gripped and released his still hard cock over and over as my body began to relax.  
“Don’t move” He said. It occurred to me how much I was really, really enjoying being ordered around by him. This kind of sex was not something I had craved before. It wasn’t my first shot at it but I had never enjoyed it as much as I had this time.  
I grinned at him, a lustful and satisfied grin as I lay panting underneath him. He smiled and brushed hair from my face that had been stuck to my sweaty skin. He gently slid out of me and lay beside me on his back his chest rising and falling rapidly. All at once I noticed how sore I was, not just between my legs but everywhere. My chest was angry and red, and my neck felt like I’d been mauled. I wriggled in my spot and Quinlan looked over at me. His expression changing to worry.  
“Your neck…I’m sorry.” He said, staring. I brought my hand up and ran my finger along the skin, wincing at the pain.  
“I’m going to have a hard time hiding this, aren’t I?” I asked.  
“Yes, I suspect you will”  
I turned and lay facing him. “You don’t have to apologize, I gave you permission, remember?” I said, stroking the side of his face.  
“Yes, I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive, I didn’t want to frighten you. Your reaction, it surprised me…and pleased me”  
“You’d do well not to underestimate me” I said  
“I am learning that” He smiled.


End file.
